DRUMMONDVILLE, March 16, 2018 (Press Release)
Five Canadian players were vying for a spot in the quarter-finals on Thursday at the $75,000 Drummondville National Bank Challenger. The tournament is being played from March 10-18 at the René-Verrier indoor tennis club in Drummondville.
Brayden Schnur (Pickering, ON) was the first Canadian to take to the court on Thursday, looking to reach the quarter-finals for the first time in Drummondville. Standing in his way was the American Christian Harrison. It was Schnur who managed to get the late break to take the opening set. In the second, he continued his strong play, notably earning a crucial break thanks to some good play at the net. The Canadian moved into the quarter-finals thanks to a 6-4, 6-3 win.
For his part, Filip Peliwo (Vancouver, BC) was facing Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi in the second round. Despite going down an early break, the Canadian was able to bring it back to even, but his opponent regained the lead quickly and took the set. The second set was tighter, as both players elevated their play, resulting in a tiebreak. Peliwo put up a valiant effort, but eventually fell by a score of 6-4, 7-6(3).
The third Canadian in second round action was Frank Dancevic (Niagara Falls, ON) who was taking on Constant Lestienne of France. After taking the first in a close tiebreak, the Canadian took control of the match, outplaying the Frenchman in the second set. moving on to the next round with his 7-6(6), 6-2. With his win, Dancevic will now play his compatriot Schnur in the quarter-finals. In their only previous meeting, it was the veteran who got the best of his fellow Canadian in a tight three set match at the Columbus Challenger in 2017.
Looking to join his compatriots in the quarter-finals was Vasek Pospisil (Vancouver, BC), the tournament’s top seed. The Canadian faced Nicolaas Scholtz of South Africa, who eliminated Benjamin Sigouin (Vancouver, BC) in the first round. Despite a tight first set, the tiebreak was dominated by Pospisil. Early in the second, the Canadian was unable to take advantage of his break point opportunities, but redeemed himself later by breaking Scholtz to take the match 7-6(2), 7-5. He has now reached the quarter-finals of a Challenger event for the fourth time this year.
In the final singles match of the day, Samuel Monette (Repentigny, QC) had the tough task of facing the American JC Aragone, who eliminated the tournament’s fourth seed in the first round. After dropping the first, Monette found himself down a break early in the second, but he battled back to even the score. In the end, the American overpowered Monette, taking the match 7-5, 6-4.
In doubles, the all-Canadian duo of Frank Dancevic and Adil Shamasdin (Toronto, ON) came from a set and a break down against Alejandro Gonzalez of Colombia and Nicola Kuhn of Spain to book their spot in the semi-finals by a score of 4-6, 7-5, 10-6. Also playing in doubles was Filip Peliwo who, alongside his partner Luis David Martinez of Venezuela, defeated the team of Liam Broady (Great-Britain) and Ruan Roelofsen (South Africa) 6-3, 7-5 to move into the semi-finals.
The Drummondville National Bank Challenger is part of the group of tournaments sponsored by National Bank, a group that includes combined events in Granby and Gatineau as well as a men’s Challenger in Calgary and two women’s Challengers in Saguenay and Winnipeg.
