Merida overwhelms error-strewn Griekspoor to reach maiden Masters 1000 quarter-final
Daniel Merida dismantled Tallon Griekspoor 6-3, 6-1 to reach his first Masters 1000 quarter-final, a display built on six Griekspoor double faults and a serve of his own that was never seriously threatened.
Daniel Merida, Montreal 2026 | © Zuma / PsNewz
Spaniard Daniel Merida, ranked No. 61, reached the first Masters 1000 quarter-final of his career by beating Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor 6-3, 6-1 in the round of 16 of the National Bank Open on Sunday.
The 21-year-old never faced a break point of consequence, saving both he did face, while Griekspoor’s serve unraveled completely in the second set.
The numbers told the story of a one-sided contest. Griekspoor was broken four times from eight chances and never once threatened Merida’s own delivery beyond two break points, both saved. He leaked 29 unforced errors to Merida’s nine and served six double faults to the Spaniard’s one, while winning only 57 percent of points on his first serve to Merida’s 83 percent.
Merida closed it out having won 62 percent of total points and, in a stat that summed up how comfortable the finish was, all of his own service games.
Merida had beaten American Alex Michelsen 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-1, No. 24 seed Ugo Humbert of France 6-3, 6-3 and Canadian Liam Draxl 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 to reach the same stage, before adding Griekspoor, the conqueror of top seed Alexander Zverev earlier in the week, to that list.
Griekspoor, ranked No. 67, had himself been in strong form to get there, beating No. 30 seed Matteo Arnaldi of Italy 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 and countryman Lorenzo Sonego 7-6 (5), 7-5 before his upset of Zverev in the second round.
MeRida in the Top 50
The run extends a breakthrough season that has already brought Merida his first ATP Tour title, in Umag, and his first tour-level final, in Bucharest, and sets him up for a maiden appearance inside the world’s top 50 once the new rankings are out, according to the ATP’s own pre-tournament projections.
He will next face the winner of the match between No. 12 seed Learner Tien of the United States and Argentina’s Thiago Agustin Tirante, joining fellow Spaniard Rafael Jodar in the last eight, the first time two Spaniards would reach the Montreal quarter-finals since Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Carlos Alcaraz in 2023.
