Canada’s Leylah Fernandez has been eliminated from the U.S. Open following a 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 defeat to the United States’ third seed, Jessica Pegula, in the third round on Friday.
The 23-year-old from Laval, Quebec, made a strong start at Arthur Ashe Stadium, breaking her opponent to take a 2-0 lead in the first set and then securing another break to establish a 5-1 advantage before serving out the set.
Pegula managed to score her first break during a pivotal moment, taking a 4-2 lead in the second set.
Although Fernandez managed to break back later, reducing Pegula’s lead to 5-4, Pegula responded by winning the set.
Pegula’s third break allowed her to move ahead 3-1 in the third set, and she maintained her serve to clinch the match after two hours and ten minutes.
Fernandez was the runner-up at the U.S. Open in 2021.
She remains in the doubles competition at the hardcourt Grand Slam, where she will partner with Indonesia’s Janice Tjen against the ninth-seeded duo of Erin Routliffe from New Zealand and Indonesia’s Aldila Sutjiadi in second-round action on Saturday.
Carlos Alcaraz triumphed over China’s Yibing Wu with a score of 6-3, 6-4, 6-1. The second-seeded Spaniard is on a mission to become the first man since Roger Federer to defend the U.S. Open title as he prepares to face Tommy Paul in the fourth round.
Sabalenka into 4th round
Similar to Pegula, Aryna Sabalenka faced challenges during her match at the U.S. Open, both from her opponent and an unexpected smell of marijuana.
Both players navigated their difficulties to advance to the fourth round, keeping the prospect of a third consecutive meeting on the final weekend alive.
Sabalenka defeated Kamilla Rakhimova 6-3, 6-4 on Friday. The top seed encountered a tough second set that lasted 54 minutes, exceeding the duration of her entire previous match.
“She played incredible tennis,” Sabalenka remarked. “She pushed me hard in the second set, and I appreciate when opponents bring their best because it drives me to improve.”
Aiming to be the first player since Serena Williams to capture three consecutive U.S. Open titles from 2012 to 2014, Sabalenka will compete against Taylor Townsend in the Round of 16.
During the third game of her match at Louis Armstrong Stadium, Sabalenka tossed the ball but let it drop to the ground, repeating the action on the next point, indicating something was bothering her.
She then approached the chair umpire for assistance, citing the smell of marijuana.
“I was like, guys, you can do whatever you want, smoke whatever you want, but please, just don’t do it around the tennis courts,” Sabalenka expressed when asked about her thoughts at that moment. “It’s quite challenging to handle that smell while trying to perform at your best.”
Williams sisters lose in tiebreaker
Serena and Venus Williams have exited the U.S. Open women’s doubles after a loss in a match tiebreaker.
The sisters squandered a 5-0 lead in the 10-point tiebreaker, ultimately losing 6-3, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (10-7) on Friday night to Hao-Ching Chan and Maya Joint.
This marked their first U.S. Open match since 2022 at the Grand Slam event that they have won twice. They managed to take the second set in a tiebreaker and fought back from a 4-1 deficit in the third set to tie it, but faltered in the end.
Serena made her return to tennis this year at the age of 44, while Venus continues to compete on tour at 46.
Factors such as their ages, Serena’s extended absence, or nerves may have played a role, as both players committed double faults during the tiebreaker after showcasing impressive play late in the third set and at the start of the tiebreaker.
Serena faced Joint for the second time this summer, having lost to the Australian in three sets at Wimbledon during her return to singles competition, and later withdrawing from their doubles match after sustaining a knee injury.
This delayed their return to the Grand Slam scene until New York, where they previously triumphed in 1999 and 2009, now holding a record of 27-8 in their ten appearances.
The match was featured in the night session at Arthur Ashe Stadium, a rare occurrence for first-round doubles.
The sisters were once a dominant force in women’s doubles, having claimed 14 Grand Slam titles along with Olympic gold in 2000, 2008, and 2012. They shared the No. 1 ranking in women’s doubles for eight weeks.
Their first-round loss in 2022 was anticipated to be their last appearance together, as Serena stepped away from tennis after securing 23 Grand Slam singles titles. She made a comeback this summer, now facing two heartbreaking defeats alongside her older sister, including another loss in a match tiebreaker at the Cincinnati Open.
Venus Williams also faced elimination in the first round of singles.
Shelton defeats Shapovalov
Later on Friday, Ben Shelton, who recently won the National Bank Open in Montreal, thrived on the support of the pro-American crowd and advanced to the fourth round in New York with a four-set win over Denis Shapovalov from Richmond Hill, Ontario.
Shelton secured the match with scores of 7-6 (3), 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4, taking three hours and 22 minutes.
The American recorded 14 aces, seven double faults, 47 winners, and 54 unforced errors. He successfully won 17 out of 21 service games and managed to break serve six times out of 21 return games.
Shapovalov finished with eight aces, seven double faults, 28 winners, and 36 unforced errors, winning 15 out of 21 service games while breaking serve four times out of 21 return games.
Shelton is set to face Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas in the next round, who upset 18th-ranked Jiri Lehecka from Czechia in four sets.