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There might be five Canadians competing in the singles draw of the Australian Open when the season’s first main kicks off this weekend after Rebecca Marino booked her spot on Friday in Melbourne.
Marino is the one Canadian to get by way of qualifying and joins Leylah Annie Fernandez within the ladies’s singles draw. Felix Auger-Aliassime, Denis Shapovalov, and Milos Raonic are competing within the males’s singles.
5 Canadians competed in qualifying on the Australian Open, however solely Marino was in a position to win all three of her matches and get into the principle draw. Her ultimate victory got here on the expense of countrywoman Katherine Sebov, who retired down 2-0 of their third-round all-Canadian qualifying conflict.
Within the first two rounds, Marino dispatched Ya Yi Yang in straight units earlier than getting back from a set right down to defeat 23rd seed Jessika Ponchet to set the conflict with Sebov. The Vancouverite might be making her fourth consecutive look in the principle draw of the Australian Open. In three of these 4 years, she reached the principle draw by way of qualifying.
Sebov was trying to qualify for the Australian Open for the second consecutive 12 months. In 2023, she certified for her first Grand Slam primary attract Melbourne. However after wins over ninth seed Emiliana Arango and Belgium’s Ysaline Bonaventure, the Canadian needed to retire early in opposition to Marino with a wrist harm.
Two different Canadian ladies have been competing in qualifying.
Carol Zhao gained her opener in opposition to Valeria Savinykh however was crushed in spherical two by second seed Katie Volynets. Stacey Fung misplaced within the first spherical to Julia Riera. Zhao and Fung have been in the identical part and, like Marino and Sebov, would have met within the ultimate spherical of qualifying.
Gabriel Diallo was the lone Canadian man competing in qualifying and got here agonizingly near getting into his first Grand Slam primary draw, however in the end misplaced his ultimate match from a set as much as former world No. 7 David Goffin.
It was Diallo’s first time within the ultimate spherical of qualifying at a significant. His greatest earlier outcome was the second spherical at Wimbledon final 12 months. He beat Pablo Llamas Ruiz within the first spherical in Melbourne and narrowly edged Pierre-Hugues Herbert 10-8 within the third set tiebreak of their second-round conflict, however got here up quick in opposition to Goffin within the ultimate spherical 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Australian Open Draw Unkind to Canadians
The draw gods didn’t shine on the 5 Canadians in the principle draw, with two of them having to face Prime 10 opponents within the opening spherical.
Rebecca Marino’s reward for coming by way of qualifying is a date with No. 5 seed Jessica Pegula. Will probably be a primary assembly between the 2.
Learn additionally: Australian Open Women’s Power Rankings
If Marino have been to tug the large upset, her subsequent seeded opponent could possibly be No. 29 Zhu Lin in spherical three. The pair confronted 4 instances in 2023 with Zhu profitable three. The in-form Zheng Qinwen looms within the fourth spherical adopted by No. 3 seed Elena Rybakina within the quarter-finals. Nevertheless, Marino has by no means made it previous the second spherical of the Australian Open.
On the boys’s aspect, Milos Raonic will face a Prime 10 opponent within the first spherical for the second main in a row as he takes on the in-form native favorite Alex de Minaur in his opening match. Raonic had to face Stefanos Tsitsipas in the first round of the US Open final summer season.
It has been over six years since Raonic and de Minaur met on tour when the speedy Aussie beat the highly effective Canadian in straight units in Brisbane. The matchup is a dramatic distinction of kinds pitting Raonic’s enormous serve and mighty groundstrokes in opposition to the speedy court docket protection and glorious defence of the Demon, who might be making his Prime 10 debut at his dwelling Slam after a run on the United Cup the place he scored three Prime 10 wins, together with one over No. 1 Novak Djokovic.
Learn additionally: Australian Open Men’s Power Rankings
Additionally in that part of the draw are No. 18 seed Nicolas Jarry, a possible third-round opponent for Raonic, and No. 5 Andrey Rublev, who can be his fourth-round opponent. No. 4 seed Jannik Sinner is the very best seed in that quarter. Traditionally the Australian Open has been Raonic’s most constant main, having reached the quarter-finals 5 instances and the semifinals as soon as in 2016.
Felix Auger-Aliassime has a tricky first-round match in opposition to 2020 US Open champion Dominic Thiem. The previous world No. 3 defeated the Canadian within the fourth spherical throughout that title run in New York in straight units, their lone earlier assembly.
Each gamers are removed from their peak, as Thiem has struggled to refind his type after a wrist harm derailed him in 2021, whereas Auger-Aliassime had a down 12 months in 2023 and suffered a knee harm late within the season. The Canadian has performed simply two matches within the final three months: a mixed doubles match at the United Cup and his first singles match of the 12 months this week in Auckland. Each have been losses.
If Auger-Aliassime comes by way of, his nemesis Daniil Medvedev is his probably third-round opponent. The Canadian has by no means crushed the previous world No. 1 in six makes an attempt, though their closest encounter got here in Melbourne in the 2022 quarter-finals when Auger-Aliassime led by two units to like and held match level.
Grigor Dimitrov is the projected fourth-round opponent for Auger-Aliassime. Holger Rune can also be in that quarter.
Denis Shapovalov has the least intimidating first-round match out of the Canadian males, qualifier Jakub Mensik, however his second-round opponent is prone to be No. 9 seed Hubert Hurkacz, who defeated Shapovalov in five sets last year within the third spherical.
Final week, Shapovalov performed his first tour occasion since being injured within the fourth spherical of Wimbledon final summer season. He misplaced within the first spherical of Auckland to Sebastian Ofner.
No. 21 seed Ugo Humbert is Shapovalov’s projected third-round opponent, with No. 8 Holger Rune or his Wimbledon conqueror Roman Safiulin probably ready within the fourth spherical.
Auger-Aliassime and Shapovalov are in the identical quarter within the backside half of the draw with Carlos Alcaraz. Raonic is within the high half with Novak Djokovic. Not one of the Canadian males might face one of many high two seeds till the semifinals.
Leylah Annie Fernandez, who snuck in because the 32nd and ultimate seed, bought the least brutal draw of the 5 Canadians. She is going to begin in opposition to 17-year-old qualifier Sara Bejlek. Nevertheless, the issue will increase exponentially fairly rapidly.
The first main menace on paper for Fernandez looms within the type of fourth seed and reigning US Open champion Coco Gauff within the third spherical. The 2 kids have by no means met on tour. Gauff is the most-recent hard-court Grand Slam champion and already has a title beneath her belt in 2024, though Fernandez is coming in with momentum after a robust end to 2023 and looked sharp at the United Cup to begin the season.
A win might arrange a rematch with Caroline Garcia, who beat Fernandez in each Melbourne and at Wimbledon in epics final 12 months. Noami Osaka, who just lately made her return to the tour after maternity go away and who Fernandez defeated throughout her run to the 2021 US Open ultimate, can also be in that part of the draw as a possible fourth-round opponent.
Fernandez has a 1-4 document on the Australian Open, together with her greatest outcome being the second spherical in 2023. She is within the backside half of the draw with defending champion and No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka, however they can’t meet till the semifinals.
For the primary time, the Australian Open is starting on a Sunday. Fernandez is the lone Canadian taking part in on day one and can kick off the motion on John Cain Enviornment at 11 am native time, 7 pm EST on Saturday evening in Canada.
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