There was the potential for an all-Canadian final as Katherine Sebov and Bianca Andreescu were in semi-final action on Saturday at the Saguenay National Bank Challenger. Looking to reach her second singles final on the professional circuit was Katherine Sebov (Toronto, ON), who attained the final at the Granby Challenger last summer. Standing in her way was the young Ukrainian Dasha Lopatetskaya, who was disputing only her third pro tournament. The Canadian dominated play in the opening set, capitalizing on her opponent’s nerves early on. There was a momentum switch in the second as the 15-year-old Lopatetskaya found her confidence, notably in her service game. With the match tied at one set all, Sebov dug deep and elevated her game, controlling the points with her heavy baseline hitting. She booked her spot in Sunday’s final with a 6-2, 1-6, 6-2 victory.
Bianca Andreescu (Mississauga, ON) was hoping to join her compatriot and compete for her second title of the year. She first had to go through Quirine Lemoine of the Netherlands, who defeated the tournament’s second seed in the previous round. The first set was tightly disputed as the two players were battling hard for the last spot in the final. The opener required a tiebreak, where Andreescu managed to come back from an early deficit, but was ultimately unable to complete the comeback. After receiving a medical timeout following the first set, Andreescu retired early in the second set due to an injury. With the retirement, Lemoine secured a place in the final by a score of a 7-6(4), 2-0 ret.
In the doubles final, Sharon Fichman (Toronto, ON) and partner Maria Sanchez of the United States were taking on the third seeds Tara Moore of Great Britain and Conny Perrin of Switzerland. After dropping the opening set, the Canadian-American duo stormed back to take the second in dramatic fashion, bringing the match to a final tiebreak. Despite putting up a valiant effort, they fell at the hands of experienced opponents by a score of 6-0, 5-7, 10-7. This is Moore and Perrin’ third title as a team.
*Feature photo: Valérie Simard
