Montreal, August 1, 2026 – Nicolás Mejía delivered a commanding performance to earn his spot in the main draw of the Canadian Open. The Colombian defeated Argentine Marco Trungelliti 7:6 (7:5), 3:6, 6:1 in the qualifying final, underlining his continued rise through the world rankings. By current records, it was the first professional meeting between the two players.
Tiebreak settles an evenly contested opening set
The first set was largely a tight affair. Both players held their serves comfortably and gave each other few break points. Trungelliti landed his first serve on just 46 percent of occasions, but converted an impressive 85 percent of those points — a high level of efficiency that kept him competitive throughout the set. With neither player able to pull clear, the tiebreak was required to settle matters. Mejía kept his nerve and converted his chance at 7:5, taking the opening set for himself.
Trungelliti hits back — Mejía responds with a dominant display
The second set saw Trungelliti turn the tables. The 36-year-old Argentine, who had become the oldest player in the Open Era to break into the top 100 for the first time when he reached world No. 76 in April 2026, drew on his experience to telling effect. He converted his break points more clinically, while Mejía struggled on return — winning just 15 percent of points on his opponent's first serve. Trungelliti took the set 6:3 to force a deciding third.
Mejía, however, had the answer. In the third set, the 26-year-old from Bogotá produced a ruthless display, racing to a 6:1 victory that gave Trungelliti little room to breathe. The Argentine's serve crumbled, he racked up eleven double faults across the match, and his ability to save break points — at a rate of just 50 percent — was not enough to halt Mejía's charge. The Colombian, by contrast, saved 75 percent of the break points he faced and held serve on 86 percent of his service games, providing a rock-solid foundation for his victory.
Mejía through to the main draw — another step up the ladder
The overall statistics paint a vivid picture of the match's ebb and flow: Mejía won 51 percent of all points and 54 percent of all games — narrow margins that reflect just how closely contested this three-set battle truly was. What proved decisive was his efficiency at the critical moments. A break points converted rate of 50 percent for Mejía against just 25 percent for Trungelliti tells the story of the match neatly.
For Mejía, Colombia's top-ranked player with a career-high ranking of No. 150, reaching the main draw of a Masters 1000 tournament represents a significant milestone. Earlier in 2026, he had already claimed the ATP Challenger title in San Luis Potosí. Trungelliti, for his part, remains a remarkable presence on tour despite this defeat: as a qualifier in Montreal he gave everything he had — and the second set was proof, as ever, that he should never be underestimated.
