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

By The Canadian Press on October 23, 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 – Canadians Leylah Fernandez and Bianca Andreescu have both moved on to the quarterfinals at the Toray Pan Pacific Open.

Fernandez advanced after downing Varvara Gracheva 6-0, 3-6, 7-5 on Wednesday.

The 22-year-old from Laval, Que., fired three aces and converted 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.

Andreescu, from Mississauga, Ont., advanced after Beatriz Haddad Maia retired due to a back injury while trailing 3-0 in the first set. Haddad Maia, the No. 2 seed, appeared to be in pain from the second game onward and took a medical timeout before exiting the match.

In the quarterfinals, Fernandez takes on the winner of a matchup between the tournament’s top seed, Qinwen Zheng of China, and Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima, while Andreescu faces either Katie Boulter or Kyoka Okamura.

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.