Fernandez eliminated from French Open with loss to 23rd-seed Keys

PARIS — Canada’s Leylah Annie Fernandez was eliminated from the French Open after losing 6-1, 7-5 to American Madison Keys in a second-round match Wednesday.

Fernandez, the world No. 69 from Laval, Que., was the last Canadian remaining in singles competition.

Keys, seeded 23rd at Roland Garros, had 31 winners to Fernandez’s six, and was able to survive 25 unforced errors in the close second set. 

The 18-year-old Fernandez, who won the Roland Garros junior singles title just two years ago, reached the third round in her main-draw debut last year.

Keys will next face 15th-seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus. Azarenka advanced to the third round with a 7-5, 6-4 win over Denmark’s Clara Tauson.

Fernandez was the only Canadian in singles competition to win a match at the clay-court Grand Slam. Sixth-seed Bianca Andreescu of Mississauga, Ont., lost her first match 6-7 (1), 7-6 (2), 9-7 to Slovenia’s Tamara Zidansek.

In men’s competition, 20th-seed Felix Auger-Aliassime of Montreal was downed by Italy’s Andreas Seppi 6-3, 7-6 (8), 4-6, 6-4 in the first round.

Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ont., the top-ranked Canadian male at No. 14, and No, 18 Milos Raonic of Thornhill, Ont., withdrew before the tournament got underway.

In women’s doubles first-round action, Toronto’s Sharon Fichman and Mexican partner Giuliana Olmos defeated Russia’s Anna Blinkova and Britain’s Heather Watson 6-3, 6-2. The ninth seeds will next face the winner of a match between Romanian pair Mihaela Buzarnescu and Patricia Tig and Spain’s Lara Arruabarrena and Caroline Dolehide of the United States.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 2, 2021.

The Canadian Press