Canada’s Leylah Fernandez exits the U.S. Open following a defeat against third-seeded Jessica Pegula of the United States in a thrilling third-round match on Friday. Fernandez, a 23-year-old hailing from Laval, Que., started strong by securing an early break to lead 2-0 in the first set. Pegula fought back but Fernandez managed to serve out the set 6-1.
Pegula staged a comeback in the second set, securing a crucial break to lead 4-2. While Fernandez managed to level the score at 5-4, Pegula eventually won the set. In the decisive third set, Pegula’s third break put her ahead 3-1, and she maintained her lead to secure victory after two hours and 10 minutes of play.
Despite this loss, Fernandez continues in the doubles competition alongside Indonesia’s Janice Tjen, set to face the ninth-seeded duo of Erin Routliffe from New Zealand and Aldila Sutjiadi of Indonesia in the second round on Saturday.
In another match, Carlos Alcaraz defeated China’s Yibing Wu with a score of 6-3, 6-4, 6-1. Alcaraz, the second seed, is aiming to defend his U.S. Open title and will face Tommy Paul in the fourth round.
Aryna Sabalenka faced a tough challenge in the U.S. Open but managed to advance to the fourth round after defeating Kamilla Rakhimova 6-3, 6-4. Sabalenka, the top seed, will now meet Taylor Townsend in the Round of 16 as she strives to secure her third consecutive U.S. Open title.
The Williams sisters, Serena and Venus, were eliminated from the U.S. Open women’s doubles after an intense match tiebreaker against Hao-Ching Chan and Maya Joint. Despite a valiant effort, the sisters lost 6-3, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (10-7). Serena, who returned to tennis this year at the age of 44, faced Joint for the second time this season, following a previous defeat at Wimbledon.
Ben Shelton, the recent National Bank Open champion, continued his winning streak by defeating Denis Shapovalov in the U.S. Open fourth round. Shelton’s victory was marked by a strong performance, clinching the match 7-6 (3), 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4 in a thrilling three-hour and 22-minute battle. Next, Shelton will face Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece in the upcoming round after Tsitsipas upset Jiri Lehecka of Czechia in four sets.