Canadians fall short at Australian Open
Published
Seven Canadians – Felix Auger-Aliassime, Denis Shapovalov, Vasek Pospisil, Leylah Annie Fernandez, Bianca Andreescu and Rebecca Marino, and qualifier Katherine Sebov – participated in the 2023 Australian Open singles main draw. Meanwhile, fellow Canadian Gabriela Dabrowski and her partner Giuliana Olmos were in the doubles draw.
Though expectations were high following a spectacular finish to the season, culminating in a Davis Cup victory, Canadians struggled at the Australian Open, with none of the singles competitors reaching the second week of competition.
Felix Auger-Aliassime - Round 4 loss to Jiri Lehecka (4-6, 6-3, 7-6, 7-6)
Auger-Aliassime was the most successful Canadian at this year’s Australian Open making it to Round 4, where he was eliminated by No. 71 Jiri Lehecka in four sets.
The 22-year-old struggled through the early part of the tournament, dropping the first set in his opening-round match with fellow Canadian Vasek Pospisil, 6-1, before taking the next three sets for the 1-6 7-6 (4), 7-6 (3), 6-3 victory.
Auger-Aliassime came out of the gates slowly against Slovakian Alex Molcan as well, needing to come back from two sets down for the eventual five-set victory (3-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2). The Montreal native defeated No. 28 Francisco Cerundolo (6-1, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4) in the third round before falling to Lehecka.
"I gave everything I had. I had some good moments. But too many parts of my game were not at the level they need to be in order to win against players like him and the other players in the draw," said Auger-Aliassime after the loss. "It's OK. I mean, it's how it is. I'm proud of my effort. I gave everything. But my level isn't where I want it to be."
The World No. 7 will maintain his ranking following the disappointing exit.
Denis Shapovalov - Round 3 loss to Hubert Hurkacz (7-6, 6-4, 1-6, 4-6, 6-3)
Shapovalov, like Auger-Aliassime, entered the tournament with high hopes after making the quarter-final last year and pushing eventual champion Rafael Nadal to five sets. However, the 23-year-old was unable to match his previous performance, losing a heartbreaking five-set battle to No. 10 Hubert Hurkacz, after rallying from two sets down.
The Richmond Hill, Ont., native defeated Dusan Lajovic in four sets in the first round and Japan’s Taro Daniel, 6-3, 7-6 (3), 7-5, in the second.
Shapovalov will drop to World No. 27 after his Round of 32 exit in Melbourne.
Leylah Annie Fernandez - R2 loss to Caroline Garcia (7-6, 7-5)
Fernandez was looking to bounce back from a foot injury that derailed her 2022 season and dropped her out of the top 30.
Her tournament got off to a good start as she won her first-round match against Alize Cornet in straight sets, 7-5, 6-2, for her first-ever win at the Australian Open.
However, her second-round match against the fourth-ranked Caroline Garcia did not go as well, as she fell in straight sets, 7-6 (5), 7-5, to the 2022 WTA Finals winner.
Fernandez also entered the doubles draw with partner Bethanie Mattek-Sands but lost in the first round, 6-7, 6-4, 6-3, to Zhang Shuai and Beatriz Haddad Maia.
Fernandez will be ranked No. 38 following her second-round loss in Melbourne.
Bianca Andreescu - R2 loss to Cristina Bucsa (2-6, 7-6, 6-4)
After missing last year’s Australian Open due to injury, Andreescu was looking to surpass her previous best performance at the tournament, when she was eliminated in the second round in 2021.
However, the Mississauga native would once again fall in the second round in Melbourne, this time to unseeded Cristina Bucsa in three sets 2-6, 7-6 (9), 6-4).
The 22-year-old won her opening-round match against Marie Bouzkova 6-2, 6-4.
The 2019 US Open Champion will be ranked No. 42 following her second-round exit.
Vasek Pospisil - Round 1 loss to Felix Auger-Aliassime (6-1, 7-6, 7-6, 6-3)
The Vernon, B.C., native fell to Auger-Aliassime in their first-round matchup, failing to match his career-best finish at the Australian Open, when he reached the third round in 2014 and 2015.
Following the loss to Auger-Aliassime and a Round of 32 loss to Gijs Brouwer at the Quimper Open, Pospisil is set to drop 14 spots to No. 113 in the world.
Rebecca Marino - R1 loss to Zhu Lin (6-2, 6-4)
After reaching the third round at a major for the first time in her career last season at the US Open, Marino was unable to carry her momentum into the first Grand Slam of 2023, falling to Zhu Lin in the first round.
Marino also entered the doubles draw with partner Madison Brengle where they lost in Round 1 to Jil Teichmann and Belinda Bencic, 6-2, 6-2.
The Vancouver native will drop three spots to No. 70.
Katherine Sebov - Round 1 loss to Caroline Garcia (6-3, 6-0)
Sebov won three qualifying matches against Simona Waltert, Priscilla Hon, and Linda Noskova to qualify for the main draw but the Toronto native was the first Canadian to get eliminated in the tourney by Garcia, who won in straight sets.
Sebov, who was making her Grand Slam debut, came in ranked at a career-best No. 190. She dropped two spots to No. 192 following the tournament.
Gabriela Dabrowski w/ Giuliana Olmos - R3 loss to Caroline Dolehide & Anna Kalinskaya (7-5, 6-2)
Dabrowski and her partner Giuliana Olmos won their first two matches at the Australian Open but fell in the third round to the American pairing of Caroline Dolehide and Anna Kalinskaya, 7-5, 6-2.