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Canada’s Leylah Fernandez tops Amanda Anisimova to reach French Open quarterfinals

May 29, 2022 | 9:56 AM

PARIS — Canadian Leylah Fernandez defeated American Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 Sunday to advance to the quarterfinals of the French Open.

The Laval, Que., native will see Italy’s Martina Trevisan in her quarterfinal after she defeated Aliaksandra Sasnovich in an earlier match on Sunday.

Fernandez beat Anisimova on the strength of her return game, converting on 6-of-10 break point chances. 

She was also aggressive coming to the net, winning 19 net points in the 26 times she went up.

This is the furthest the 19-year-old Fernandez has made it in a Grand Slam since she reached the final of the 2021 U.S. Open, eventually falling to Emma Raducanu of the United Kingdom.

Later on Sunday, Felix Auger-Aliassime of Montreal will face 21-time Grand Slam winner, and 13-time French Open champion, Rafael Nadal for a chance to punch his ticket into the Roland-Garros quarterfinal, where world No. 1 Novak Djokovic awaits.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 29, 2022.

The Canadian Press