Leylah Fernandez’s winning streak in Japan continues as she triumphed over Maria Sakkari of Greece in the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo. The 23-year-old Canadian, fresh off her victory at the Japan Open in Osaka, defeated the 30-year-old qualifier in a hard-fought match lasting over two hours, with a final score of 7-6 (5), 6-4. Fernandez showcased her skills with two aces, one double fault, 47 unforced errors, and 32 winners. She maintained a solid performance, winning 58% of her first serve points and 50% of her second serve points, while saving six out of 11 break points and converting six out of 10 break points.
In another match, Victoria Mboko from Toronto outplayed Bianca Andreescu from Mississauga in an intense all-Ontario battle, with a score of 6-3, 6-3. The match lasted 73 minutes, with Andreescu committing 19 unforced errors compared to Mboko’s 18. Mboko delivered three double faults, one ace, and 21 winners, winning 77% of her first serve points and 50% of her second serve points. She managed to secure three out of eight return games.
Meanwhile, Denis Shapovalov progressed to the second round of the Swiss Indoors tournament after defeating Marcos Giron of the United States in a thrilling 6-7 (3), 6-0, 7-6 (4) match. Despite facing five double faults, the 26-year-old Canadian from Richmond Hill showcased his strength with 13 aces and converted five out of eight break-point opportunities. Giron, on the other hand, struggled to break Shapovalov’s serve, managing to do so only twice out of seven chances. Shapovalov, who recently reached the semifinals at the Stockholm Open, extended his head-to-head record against Giron to 2-3 and will face Valentin Royer of France in the next round.
The upcoming action at the ATP 500 tournament includes a highly anticipated match between fifth-seed Felix Auger-Aliassime and Gabriel Diallo in an all-Montreal showdown.