Canada’s Leylah Fernandez was eliminated from the U.S. Open following a defeat to third seed Jessica Pegula of the United States in the third round on Friday. Fernandez, a 23-year-old native of Laval, Que., started strongly at Arthur Ashe Stadium, securing an early lead in the first set, but Pegula rallied back to claim victory after a hard-fought match lasting two hours and 10 minutes.
Fernandez, the U.S. Open runner-up in 2021, is still competing in the doubles event alongside Indonesia’s Janice Tjen. Meanwhile, Spanish player Carlos Alcaraz emerged victorious in his match against China’s Yibing Wu and is set to face Tommy Paul in the next round.
Aryna Sabalenka faced tough challenges during her match but managed to advance to the fourth round. Sabalenka, the No. 1 seed aiming for a third consecutive U.S. Open title, will play against Taylor Townsend in the Round of 16. Additionally, Serena and Venus Williams were defeated in the women’s doubles event after a closely contested tiebreaker match.
Ben Shelton, the winner of the National Bank Open in Montreal, secured a spot in the fourth round by defeating Denis Shapovalov. Shelton will now face Stefanos Tsitsipas in the upcoming round of the tournament.