Stefanos Tsitsipas sets up Joao Fonseca clash as Alex De Minaur wins at Montreal Masters

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/de-minaur-alex/EZgZ9Xfh/"]De Minaur[/a], seeded third, hasn't lost to a fellow Aussie in four years, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/de-minaur-a-EZgZ9Xfh/duckworth-j-2JWHPUUb/?mid=Cdl6pH2L"]but he was made to work hard[/a] by his 86th-ranked compatriot to keep that streak alive.[/p][p]The second-round match turned in an instant in the second-set tiebreaker when a return which rolled off the top of the net handed de Minaur a match point after he saved six set points for his opponent.[/p][p]"[b]A little bit of luck went my way in the tiebreaker,[/b]" de Minaur said. "[b]He was hitting me off the court in the second set, but I got lucky and managed to sneak away with the tiebreaker.[/b][/p][p]"[b]Ultimately it was a lot of fighting and competing,[/b]" added de Minaur, the 2023 runner-up in Canada who married British WTA player [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/boulter-katie/0SeXj3jT/"]Katie Boulter[/a] last month.[/p][p]De Minaur said he hasn't given much thought to his solid recent record against fellow Aussies.[/p][p]"[b]We're doing our best to make Australia proud,[/b]" he said. "[b]We have strength in numbers[/b]."[/p][embed guid="67f2b934-fff2-435e-b02f-9b778911afbd" url="https://x.com/TennisTV/status/2084814603943370924?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]In other second-round action China's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/shang-juncheng/tvjTgE3J/"]Shang Juncheng[/a] - only just returned from months away because of injury - scored the first notable upset of the week with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/rublev-a-AeAn4gP0/shang-j-tvjTgE3J/?mid=fBjEreSh"]7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (5)[/a] defeat of 10th seed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rublev-andrey/AeAn4gP0/"]Andrey Rublev[/a].[/p][p]Shang saved five match points, on his way to the third round, breaking Rublev as he served for the match at 5-3 in the third and hanging on to win a seven-deuce service game.[/p][p]Former world number three [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tsitsipas-stefanos/hb6oWfc6/"]Stefanos Tsitsipas[/a] regained some of the touch lost during a recent rankings slump, with the high-profile qualifier dispatching [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/damm-martin-2003/vX7WOXtP/"]Martin Damm[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/damm-m-vX7WOXtP/tsitsipas-s-hb6oWfc6/?mid=Y17Z78O0"]6-4, 6-4[/a].[/p][p]The 98-minute first-round win sends [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tsitsipas-stefanos/hb6oWfc6/"]Tsitsipas[/a] into a match with Brazilian [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fonseca-joao/tv073LUc/"]Joao Fonseca[/a].[/p][p]The 53rd-ranked Tsitsipas, winner last month in Gstaad, said that a coaching change - he split from his father Apostolos for a second time - is paying off now that he is under the guidance of coaches from Patrick Mouratoglou's French academy.[/p][h2]Buddhist philosophy[/h2][p][b]"It's a chapter that should have started a long time ago," [/b]Tsitsipas said. "[b]I guess I was too patient with my time and too nice with handling certain things, to take so much time to proceed with the change. But it's how life works.[/b]"[/p][p]"[b]Certain things come at a certain time, I'm very Buddhist in that sort of philosophy.[/b][/p][p][b]"Now we are here, and we are doing it the way I like it. I want it to be done. I want it to be done with a coach that I am happy with right now ... someone that I trust."[/b][/p][embed guid="d3dfc428-b12e-444b-acab-3dd3a0f57244" url="https://x.com/TennisTV/status/2084685213016146146" social-type="twitter" /][p]The Greek claimed the opening set against Damm and came back from a break down in the second to earn a 5-2 lead and the chance to serve it out.[/p][p]But the Czech managed to break back, forcing Tsitsipas to clinch victory two games later on a forehand winner.[/p][p][b]"I need to focus and concentrate, and that's what I was trying to do out there today, trying to keep it locked in as much as I could and not let any distractions get in the way," [/b]Tsitsipas, 27, said.[/p][p]"[b]Tennis is about milliseconds, getting properly behind the ball and being constantly well positioned. I need to focus on how to do that in the best possible way.[/b][/p][p][b]"I felt in control up two breaks, but things got tough. I have nothing to regret, I was able to fight my way through the match. I took a good grip to close it out."[/b][/p][embed guid="621a800f-932a-4927-9812-20024d3528f3" url="https://x.com/TennisTV/status/2084667847125479909" social-type="twitter" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hurkacz-hubert/zuHOBnY9/"]Hubert Hurkacz[/a] a 2022 finalist in Montreal who is coming back from a knee injury suffered at Wimbledon, returned with a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/giron-m-OWOgryOk/hurkacz-h-zuHOBnY9/?mid=WE8KgI3j"]7-5, 4-6, 6-2[/a] win over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/giron-marcos/OWOgryOk/"]Marcos Giron[/a].[/p][p]Britain's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fearnley-jacob/pGBaKGOn/"]Jakob Fearnley[/a], who reached the final of a hard court Challenger last month, advanced past French veteran [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mannarino-adrian/fLOdtByM/"]Adrian Mannarino[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/fearnley-j-pGBaKGOn/mannarino-a-fLOdtByM/?mid=GbnfSxAF"]7-6 (3), 6-4[/a], overcoming more than 30 unforced errors to book a meeting with 13th seeded Czech [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mensik-jakub/UFj257G8/"]Jakub Mensik[/a].[/p][p]Fellow Brit [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/draper-jack/SWxNhpmK/"]Jack Draper[/a] shed bitter tears as his latest injury comeback collapsed in a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/atmare-t-6mkEQ279/draper-j-SWxNhpmK/?mid=GxudtRkm"]6-3, 2-6, 6-2[/a] loss to France's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/atmane-terence/6mkEQ279/"]Terrance Atmane[/a], who delivered an ace on match point.[/p][p]Draper, who had not played a match since Eastbourne in June, was consoled at the net by his victorious opponent.[/p][p]It was more disappointment for Draper after he and new coach [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/murray-andy/tYvP6939/"]Andy Murray[/a] travelled to last week's Washington event only for Draper to withdraw as an existing arm injury flared up.[/p][p]Canadian [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/shapovalov-denis/zXddgn9o/"]Denis Shapovalov[/a], who reached the final in Los Cabos at the weekend, was disappointed to retire with an ankle injury to hand a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/shapovalov-d-zXddgn9o/svajda-z-vynGYhMa/?mid=l6HrFlil"]4-6, 6-4, 3-0[/a] victory to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/svajda-zachary/vynGYhMa/"]Zachary Svajda[/a].[/p]