Robillard-Millette and Fernandez join Zhao in the final eight
Two Canadians were in second round action on Thursday at the Saguenay National Bank Challenger. Charlotte Robillard-Millette (Blainville, QC) and Leylah Annie Fernandez (Laval, QC) were both victorious and move on to the quarter-finals. Sanctioned by the International Tennis Federation (ITF), the tournament offers $60,000 USD in prize money and will be held from October 23 to 29, 2017.
Charlotte Robillard-Millette was the first Canadian in action on Thursday, opposing Michaela Honcova of Slovakia. After an early exchange of breaks, the young Robillard-Millette was able to hold to go up in the set. She needed only 29 minutes to take the first. The Canadian went down an early break in the second, but rallied late in the set, much to the delight of the home crowd. With her 6-3, 7-5 victory, Robillard-Millette reaches her third consecutive quarter-final at the Saguenay National Bank Challenger.
Looking to reach her first quarter-final on the professional circuit was 15-year-old Leylah Annie Fernandez. The Canadian, who was opposing American Maria Mateas, jumped out to a quick lead, converting on three of her four break point opportunities to take the first set. Despite being the youngest player in the tournament, Fernandez was in control throughout the match, keeping pace with her heavy hitting opponent. Her 6-1, 6-4 victory on Thursday moves her into the tournament quarter-finals.
In doubles, the Canadian Robillard-Millette and her partner Julia Elbaba of the United States were opposing the tournament’s top seeded doubles team of Emina Bektas of the United States and Alexa Guarachi of Chile. The Canadian/American duo were unable to hold off their opponents, falling 6-1, 6-0.
The tournament’s third seed Bibiane Schoofs of the Netherlands faced a very resilient opponent in Maria Sanchez of the United States. In the longest match of the day, lasting almost three hours, Shoofs outlasted her rival and moves on to the quarter-finals. Francesca di Lorenzo of the United States and Shilin Xu of China also booked their ticket into the quarter-finals on Thursday.
