Canada's Leylah Annie Fernandez returns the ball to Poland's Iga Swiatek during a match of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Tuesday, Feb 21, 2023. Canada's Leylah Fernandez, alongside American Taylor Townsend, advanced to the second round of women's doubles at the Indian Wells tournament on Thursday.THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Kamran Jebreili
INDIAN WELLS, Calif. – Canada’s Leylah Fernandez and American Taylor Townsend advanced Thursday to the second round of women’s doubles at the Indian Wells tournament.
The duo defeated Latisha Chan and Chan Hao-Ching of Chinese Taipei 6-4, 7-6 (5).
Fernandez and Townsend hit a combined four aces to four double faults and won 78.6 per cent of first-serve points.
They also broke on 2-of-9 opportunities compared to their opponents, who went 1-of-6.
In women’s singles action, Canada’s Rebecca Marino fell 6-2, 6-2 to Czechia’s Marketa Vondrousova in opening-round play.
The Vancouver native hit two aces but had six double faults while only winning 60.6 per cent of first-serve points.
In addition, Marino did not have a single break point opportunity in the one-hour, 10-minute match.
Vondrousova, meanwhile, fired four aces to four double faults and won 86.2 per cent of first-serve points. She also converted on four of her eight breakpoint chances.
Later Thursday, Canadian stars Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov were to open their quest in men’s doubles against American Ben Shelton and Denmark’s Holger Rune.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 9, 2023.
