All five Canadians who are playing singles at the 2020 U.S. Open in Flushing Meadows, New York have won their first round matches. They are Denis Shapovalov of Toronto, Ontario, Milos Raonic of Thornhill, Ontario, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Leylah Annie Fernandez of Montreal, Quebec, and Vasek Pospisil of Vernon, British Columbia.
The most impressive first round win came from Fernandez. The 17-year-old phenom beat two-time major finalist Vera Zvonareva of Russia 6-4, 7-5. Fernandez won her first grand slam singles tennis match, and beat a player who went to the final of Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in 2010. The tournament gets tougher for Fernandez, who now has to play Sofia Kenin of the United States, the second seed, and reigning Australian Open champion, in the second round on Thursday.
Shapovalov’s first round win came over Sebastian Korda of the United States 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2. Shapovalov is the highest ranked Canadian in the tournament, as he is seeded 12th. He will next play Soon-woo Kwon of South Korea.
Auger-Aliassime also needed four sets to get through as he beat Thiago Monteiro of Brazil 6-3, 6-7, 7-6, 7-6. Auger-Aliassime is the 15th seed and will next play Andy Murray of Great Britain in the second round. Murray is a three-time grand slam champion as he won the U.S. Open in 2012 and Wimbledon in 2013 and 2016. Murray’s win at Wimbledon in 2016 came over Raonic in the final in straight sets, 6-4, 7-6, 7-6.
Raonic, the 25th seed, beat Leonardo Mayer of Argentina 6-3, 6-2, 6-3. He will next play Pospisil in round two. Pospisil beat Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany, 7-6, 7-5, 7-6.
