No Canadian players have made it to the main draw of the U.S. Open through the qualifying rounds after Bianca Andreescu and Liam Draxl suffered defeats in the final round on Friday in New York.
Andreescu lost 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 to Slovenia’s Tamara Zidansek. The 2019 U.S. Open women’s champion from Mississauga, Ont., managed to hit seven aces during the match that lasted two hours and 44 minutes, but struggled on net points, winning only 10 out of 21 available points.
Initially, the match started on Thursday but had to be halted due to rain with Andreescu leading 2-0 at that point.
Draxl from Newmarket, Ont., also saw his qualifying match against Australia’s Tristan Schoolkate postponed to Friday, where he eventually lost 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7).
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Both players managed to secure four breaks each, but Schoolkate made the crucial break to go up 4-3 in the third set, erasing Draxl’s early advantage.
On the men’s side, Montreal’s Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov from Richmond Hill, Ont., will feature in the main draw action starting on Sunday, while 2021 runner-up Leylah Fernandez from Laval, Que., will represent the women’s side.
Sabalenka, Pegula Express Support for Increased Prize Money and Player Council
Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula have commended the U.S. Open for its record prize money distribution and the formation of a Grand Slam player advisory council. They mentioned that the push for players to receive a larger portion of the revenue was gaining momentum.
This year’s U.S. Open announced a record $108 million US prize fund, with all four Grand Slam events introducing plans for an advisory council following pressure from top players for higher prize money and more involvement in decision-making.
World No. 1 Sabalenka, who has been vocal about improving player compensation, expressed optimism that these steps could improve relations between players and tournament organizers.
“We’re extremely pleased to see progress being made towards our initial goals,” said the Belarusian during a media briefing on Friday.
“Hopefully, there won’t be any future boycotts of media or tournaments. We all aim to