Day 4 brought the big American names into the mix as Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton, and Frances Tiafoe were all in action, but it wasn’t smooth sailing for everyone.
Tiafoe barely escaped a red-hot Yosuke Watanuki, Fritz looked nervy in a tight two-setter, and Stefanos Tsitsipas crashed out in familiar fashion to the steady Christopher O’Connell.
Home fans didn’t have much to cheer for either. Felix Auger-Aliassime and Alexis Galarneau both bowed out in straight sets, leaving Gabriel Diallo as the last Canadian standing.
Elsewhere, there were more signs of trouble for Tsitsipas, who continues to spiral in 2025, while Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Alex de Minaur both backed up their strong Washington form with confident wins.
Fabian Marozsan upset yet another seed, Arthur Fils looked sharp in his return, and Ben Shelton put on a serving clinic against Adrian Mannarino.
The tournament is soon approaching the business end, and here’s everything that went down on Day 4 of the National Bank Open.
Day Four Canadian Open 2025 Round of 64 Results
Winner
Loser
Scoreline
Frances Tiafoe (7)
Yosuke Watanuki (Q)
1-6 7-5 7-6(5)
Aleksandar Vukic
Cameron Norrie (31)
6-3 6-7(2) 6-3
Christopher O’Connell
Stefanos Tsitsipas (23)
6-4 4-6 6-2
Alex de Minaur (9)
Francisco Comesana
6-4 6-2
Flavio Cobolli (13)
Alexis Galarneau (WC)
6-4 5-7 6-3
Fabian Marozsan
Felix Auger-Aliassime (21)
6-4 6-4
Brandon Nakashima (25)
Ethan Quinn
7-6(6) 6-4
Ben Shelton (4)
Adrian Mannarino (Q)
6-2 6-3
Andrey Rublev (6)
Hugo Gaston
6-2 6-3
Lorenzo Sonego (28)
Yunchaokete Bu
6-1 6-4
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (20)
Corentin Moutet
6-4 6-3
Jakub Mensik (12)
Tristan Boyer (Q)
6-4 6-4
Arthur Fils (15)
Pablo Carreno Busta
6-3 6-4
Jiri Lehecka
Mackenzie McDonald
7-6(2) 6-4
Gabriel Diallo (27)
Matte Gigante (WC)
6-3 7-6(5)
Taylor Fritz (2)
Roberto Carballes Baena
7-5 7-6(1)
Key Matches
Taylor Fritz def. Roberto Carballes Baena, 7-5, 7-6(1)
Taylor Fritz survived a test in his Toronto opener, outlasting Roberto Carballes Baena in a 7-5, 7-6(1) battle.
The American, the first top-two seed from the States at an ATP Masters 1000 since Andy Roddick in 2005, needed two hours and 31 minutes to seal the deal.
Carballes Baena, who isn’t a totally at seas on hard courts, pushed Fritz to the limit, absorbing his baseline bombs and forcing long rallies.
I thought Fritz struggled in the conditions, and he doesn’t look like he has a ton of control on the ball. He next faces Diallo who took him to five sets at Wimbledon.
Frances Tiafoe def. Yosuke Watanuki, 1-6, 7-5, 7-6(5)
Frances Tiafoe clawed back from a set down to defeat Yosuke Watanuki 1-6, 7-5, 7-6(5). The American avenged his Indian Wells loss to the Japanese by unleashing 45 winners to Tiafoe’s 19 but squandered seven of nine break-point chances.
Tiafoe, a top-eight seed at a Masters 1000 for the first time, stayed cool under pressure, especially in the third-set tiebreak.
Christopher O’Connell def. Stefanos Tsitsipas, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2
Christopher O’Connell stunned 2018 finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, snapping a seven-match losing streak in style.
The Aussie, who’s not in a great spell of form, condemned the Greek to another bad loss, and he’s now teetering at No. 29 in the live rankings.
The Greek, who had a brief spell working with Ivanesevic that ended rather abruptly, looks a million miles from his best.
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina def. Corentin Moutet, 6-4, 6-3
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina kept his winning form alive, dispatching the tricky Corentin Moutet 6-4, 6-3 in Toronto.
Fresh off a runner-up finish in Washington (where he let three championship points slip to Alex de Minaur), the Spaniard, now a career-high No. 19, showed no signs of a hangover.
Moutet’s crafty game couldn’t disrupt Davidovich Fokina’s rhythm, and the Spaniard has had a very impressive season with far more consistency than he’s previously shown.
Alex de Minaur def. Francisco Comesana, 6-4, 6-2
Like ADF, Alex de Minaur carried his Washington form into Toronto, cruising past Francisco Comesana 6-4, 6-2.
The 2023 finalists’ speed and precision overwhelmed Comesana, who couldn’t find answers to the ADM’s relentless baseline game.
Fabian Marozsan def. Felix Auger-Aliassime, 6-4, 6-4
Fabian Marozsan further spoiled Canadian hopes on Wednesday, taking out home favourite Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-4, 6-4 in windy conditions.
The Hungarian delivered when it mattered most, firing a second-serve ace to save a break point while serving for the match at 5-4.
Arthur Fils def. Pablo Carreno Busta, 6-3, 6-4
Arthur Fils made a statement in his return from a back injury, ousting 2022 champion Pablo Carreno Busta 6-3, 6-4. The 21-year-old Frenchman, sidelined since Roland Garros, showed no rust in Toronto.
Fils’ aggressive baseline game overpowered Carreno Busta, setting up a third-round clash with Jiri Lehecka, who defeated Mackenzie McDonald 7-6(2), 6-4.
Ben Shelton def. Adrian Mannarino, 6-2, 6-3
Ben Shelton blasted past Adrian Mannarino 6-2, 6-3 in a 65-minute demolition. The fourth seed’s monster serve was untouchable, winning 90% of first-serve points and saving both break points faced. Mannarino has proved to a problem for the American in previous meetings but not today. Next up, Brandon Nakashima, who beat Ethan Quinn 7-6(6), 6-4.
Andrey Rublev def. Hugo Gaston, 6-2, 6-3
Andrey Rublev notched his 250th hard-court win, overpowering Hugo Gaston 6-2, 6-3. Gaston has a crafty game with great touch, but Rublev likes these conditions, and he can step in to negate that threat.
The Russian reached the Toronto final last year and now faces Lorenzo Sonego in the third round as he bids to go one better.
Flavio Cobolli def. Alexis Galarneau, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4
Flavio Cobolli further dashed Canadian hopes, edging Alexis Galarneau 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 in a hard-fought. The 13th seed stayed composed in the decider to advance. Galarneau battled, but Cobolli’s athletic consistency proved the difference.
Gabriel Diallo def. Matteo Gigante, 6-3, 7-6(5)
After seeing Aliassime and Galarneau pack their bags, Canada’s Gabriel Diallo kept the home fires burning, rallying past Matteo Gigante 6-3, 7-6(5) to reach the third round of a Masters 1000 for the second time.
Diallo is probably the best Canadian on tour right now, and he’s picking up some impressive wins. The highlight in this one? The ball went through a hole in the net, and Gigante successfully used the video review to point it out.
Highlights
Canadian Open 2025 Day 5 Round of 32 Matches
Alexander Zverev (1) vs Matteo Arnaldi (32)
Tomas Martin Etcheverry vs Francisco Cerundolo (14)
Daniil Medvedev (10) vs Alexei Popyrin (18)
Alexandre Muller (29) vs Holger Rune (5)
Lorenzo Musetti (3) vs Alex Michelsen (26)
Learner Tien vs Reilly Opelka
Karen Khachanov (11) vs Emilio Nava (Q)
Nuno Borges (30) vs Casper Ruud (8)