Diallo, Shapovalov win opening matches at Australian Open

Canadians Denis Shapovalov and Gabriel Diallo battled through challenging first-round matches to advance at the Australian Open on Tuesday.

Shapovalov, ranked 56th, defeated Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut (53rd) 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (8) in a match that lasted more than three hours on Court 5 at Melbourne Park. The 25-year-old from Richmond Hill, Ont., delivered 24 aces but struggled with 15 double faults. He will face 16th seed Lorenzo Musetti of Italy next.

Diallo, ranked 86th, relied on his powerful first serve to defeat Italy’s Luca Nardi 6-7 (1), 7-6 (3), 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 in his Melbourne Park- debut in the main draw. The Montrealer fired 21 aces and won 75 percent of the points on his first serve in a four-hour, 10-minute match. He will meet 19th seed Karen Khachanov of Russia in the second round.

Vancouver’s Rebecca Marino lost her first-round match 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 to Great Britain’s Katie Boulter.

In doubles, Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Que., and Ukraine’s Nadiia Kichenok reached the second round with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Australians Maya Joint and Talia Gibson. Canada’s Gabriela Dabrowski and New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe were set to open their campaign against Americans Danielle Collins and Desirae Krawczyk.

Fernandez, the 30th seed in singles, was scheduled to face Spain’s Cristina Bucsa in a late match in the second round.

Montreal’s Félix Auger-Aliassime, seeded 29th, fresh off his Adelaide International win, will face Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the second round.