DOHA — A challenging day unfolded for Canadian tennis representatives at the Qatar Open on Wednesday, with both Leylah Fernandez and Gabriela Dabrowski facing swift departures from their respective matches.
Fernandez experienced a tough loss, going down 6-3, 6-0 against American sensation Amanda Anisimova in the third round of singles at the prestigious WTA 1000 event.
The talented 27th-ranked player from Laval, Quebec, struggled to find her rhythm against Anisimova, who completed the contest in a brisk 64 minutes.
Anisimova exhibited prowess on the court, saving both break points she confronted and capitalizing on four out of eight break points created against Fernandez.
This encounter marked their first face-off since 2022, a year when Fernandez triumphed over Anisimova at both Indian Wells and the French Open.
Earlier in the day, Ottawa’s Dabrowski, alongside New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe, faced elimination in the women’s doubles event with a 6-2, 6-1 defeat at the hands of Russian duo Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider.
The Russian pair needed a mere 56 minutes to secure their victory over the tournament’s top seeds, successfully saving both break points while breaking Dabrowski and Routliffe four times out of six opportunities.
In an impressive display during the second set, Andreeva and Shnaider dominated, winning 14 out of 17 first-serve points, in stark contrast to their heavily favored opponents who managed just 4 out of 8.
This unexpected early exit for Dabrowski and Routliffe, the reigning champions of the WTA Finals in doubles, comes shortly after their commendable run to the semifinals at the Australian Open last month.
