Four Canadian tennis stars were in action in Melbourne on Friday trying to play their way through the qualifying rounds and into the main draw of the 2020 Australian Open.
World no. 211 Eugenie Bouchard's straight-sets win Thursday over Maddison Inglis put her just one away from the main draw, but she fell in straight sets Friday to Italy's Martina Trevisan, the 154th best player in the world. Bouchard's 6-4, 6-3 loss to Trevisan eliminated her from the tournament and marks the first time she will not compete in the Australian Open's main draw since 2013.
With Bouchard's loss, teenager Leylah Annie Fernandez is the country's lone competitor in the qualifying rounds. Fernandez moved one win closer to the main draw with a victory on Friday over Japan's Mayo Hibi.
In the men's draw, Brayden Schnur was eliminated when he lost to Belgium's Kimmer Coppejans, 7-6, 6-3. Steven Diez, too, finished his run at the hands of Kimmer Coppejans, 7-6, 6-3.
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Here's how the action played out for the Canadians at the qualifying rounds of the 2020 Australian Open on Friday:
Women's singles
Martina Trevisan def. Eugenie Bouchard, 6-4, 6-3
Bouchard could not pull out an upset over Trevisan, who easily took care of the first game and threatened to put Bouchard away quickly in the second. The 25-year-old threatened a comeback when she won three games in a row, but it was simply too little, too late.
Bouchard's loss means she will not compete in the Australian Open's main draw for the first time since 2013 .
Leylah Annie Fernandez def. Mayo Hibi, 6-4, 6-4
It took Fernandez, 17, an hour and 44 minutes to defeat Japan's Hibi on Court 5. She recorded 34 winners in the match — 21 more than her opponent — on the way to the tournament's final qualification round. She will next face American Danielle Lao.
Into the final round of #AO2020 qualifying! @leylahfernandez eases past Mayo Hibi 6-4, 6-4 to move just one win away from her first Grand Slam main draw. pic.twitter.com/NcJqc0nQPK
— Tennis Canada (@TennisCanada) January 17, 2020
Men's singles
Hiroki Moriya def. Steven Diez, 6-4, 7-5
Diez, 28, lost to Moriya in straight sets. The Toronto native has been eliminated from the tournament as a result.
🇨🇦 Steven Diez is still searching for his first main draw Grand Slam appearance...Falls in 2nd Round of Australian Open qualifying in straight sets on Friday #AusOpen #ATP
— John Horn (@SportsHorn) January 17, 2020
Kimmer Coppejans def. Brayden Schnur, 7-6, 6-3
Schnur was eliminated from competition when he lost to Belgium's Kimmer Coppejans, 7-6, 6-3.