Canada’s Fernandez through to quarterfinals at Toray Pan Pacific Open

By The Canadian Press on October 22, 2024.

Leylah Fernandez, of Canada, returns a shot to Anastasia Potapova, of Russia, during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024, in New York. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Matt Rourke

TOKYO – Canada’s Leylah Fernandez is through to the quarterfinals at the Toray Pan Pacific Open after downing Varvara Gracheva 6-0, 3-6, 7-5 on Wednesday.

The 22-year-old from Laval, Que., fired three aces and converted on 5-of-11 break points during the two-hour 15-minute match.

Gracheva, of France, battled back in the second set, winning 72.2 per cent of her first serve points, before Fernandez rallied in the third set.

The quarterfinals will see the Canadian take on the winner of a matchup between the tournament’s top seed, Qinwen Zheng of China and Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima.

Canada’s Bianca Andreescu is set to face second-seeded Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil in the second round of the WTA 500 event later on Wednesday.

In women’s doubles action, Ottawa’s Gabriela Dabrowski and her partner Erin Routliffe were up 6-3, 1-2 on Japanese pair Nao Hibino and Miyu Kato when their match was suspended.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 23, 2024.