VANCOUVER — He expected a dogfight, but Gabriel Diallo didn’t think he would get bit.
The 24-year-old from Montreal, ranked 39th in the world, lost to No. 253 Gustavo Heide 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-7 (3) as Canada split its first singles matches against Brazil in the first round of Davis Cup qualifiers on Friday.
In the first match of the evening, Liam Draxl of Newmarket, Ontario, ranked 145th, defeated 207th-ranked Lucas Reis da Silva 6-3, 6-3 in 75 minutes.
On paper, it was expected that the 24-year-old Diallo would get the upper hand against Heide.
Known for his cannon services, Diallo’s second leg struggled. This allowed Heide to stay in the game and force Diallo into mistakes that drew cheers from the Brazilian fans at the University of British Columbia’s Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Center.
“I was ready for a dogfight today, but unfortunately it didn’t go my way,” said Diallo, who lost the match in two hours and 42 minutes.
“I was quite confident in my serve. Some of them he played really well. Some of them maybe I could have been better. There were key moments where I wished I played a little better or with a little more conviction.”
Diallo came to Vancouver after a first-round loss to German Alexander Zverev at the Australian Open. Last year was his first full season on tour, during which he broke into the Top 50 and climbed as high as No. 33. He won his first tour-level title on grass at the Libema Open in the Netherlands.
Heide said patience paid off against Diallo.
“I knew it was going to be a very tough match,” the 23-year-old right-hander from Sao Paulo said through an interpreter. “I knew he was a good server and I managed to return very well during the match. When I got the chance, I was there and made good serves to close the match.”
Brazilian captain Jaime Oncins praised Heide’s resilience.
“The way he fights,” Oncins said. “The score doesn’t matter when you’re fighting for the next point, and that’s what he did.”
In the other match, Draxl broke Reis da Silva’s serve three times as he won the second set. On back-to-back plays in the opening game, he scored a point with a sharp shot across the court, then took command with a powerful overhand smash.
Draxl admitted he breathed a sigh of relief after his victory.
“It’s kind of a weight off my shoulders,” the 24-year-old said. “You want to get Canada started. You’re trying to do your best.”
Winning a set on break points early in the opening set gave Draxl extra confidence.
“It was really nice to get that grip under my belt,” he said. “I just started flowing after that.
“He’s very tough and I knew he wasn’t going anywhere. That’s why I had to keep my nose to the front because I knew he could play tennis very well.”
The victory gives Brazil momentum heading into Saturday’s matches in the best-of-five showdown.
“I think it’s very important for us to come back with that win,” Oncins said. “It gives us a lot of energy for the rest of the team.”
Cleeve Harper of Draxl and Calgary will face Orlando Luz and Rafael Matos in a doubles match, while Diallo will meet Reis da Silva in singles. If a fifth and decisive match is necessary, Draxl will play Heider in singles.
Canada entered the competition at number 9, while Brazil is number 18.
Harper and Draxl have a tough time against the Brazilian doubles team who lost in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open.
Canadian captain Frank Dancevic is confident his team can regroup for the final day.
“The goal at the moment is to focus game by game,” said Dancevic. “We’re not in a terrible position right now. We know how the boys can play.”
“We’ve had a lot of these moments in the past where we lost tough games. We came back and won draws. It’s part of the Davis Cup.”
Also on Saturday, a ceremony will be held in honor of Vasek Pospisil, the tennis veteran from Vernon, B.C., who recently announced his retirement.
If the Canadians win this weekend, they are guaranteed to host the next tie at a venue to be confirmed.
Last year, Canada lost to Hungary in the 2025 first round of qualifying at Montreal’s IGA Stadium.
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