TORONTO — Leylah Fernandez will carry her country's torch into the third round of the National Bank Open.
The 23-year-old from Laval, Que., topped Mexico's Renata Zarazua 6-2, 6-2 before a partisan home-soil crowd at Sobeys Stadium on Wednesday night.
Fernandez already represented the last Canadian hope in both the women's and men's singles draws at the annual tennis tournament heading into her first match after getting a bye as the No. 30 seed.
Kayla Cross of London, Ont., was bounced by Ann Li of the United States 7-6 (2), 6-3 earlier in the day. Toronto's Katherine Sebov lost in the second round Tuesday, while 2019 winner Bianca Andreescu of Mississauga, Ont., was eliminated Monday in her first match as the red-and-white contingent melted from eight to one in short order on York University's main campus.
Victoria Mboko of Burlington, Ont., who captured last summer's NBO title at age 18, is sitting out this year's event because of a knee issue.
The Canadian men, meanwhile, have been cut down by injuries of their own in Montreal. Dennis Shapovalov and Gabe Diallo retired from their matches Tuesday before No. 2 seed Félix Auger-Aliassime withdrew with a back problem Wednesday.
The runner-up at the 2021 U.S. Open currently ranked No. 34 on the WTA Tour, Fernandez secured three break points in the first set, including with Zarazua, the world No. 73, on serve at 5-2.
Fernandez, whose best NBO showing was a round-of-16 appearance at the 2023 event in Montreal, went up 3-2 with a break in the second before cruising to victory in one hour 23 minutes.
The Canadian finished with three aces and converted on five her six breakpoint opportunities.
Fernandez, who lost her first-round match last year in Montreal and earned a career-high rank of No. 13 in August 2022, improved to 3-0 against Zarazua all-time and will next face No. 5 Mirra Andreeva.
Rising star and Alexandra Eala of the Philippines was scheduled to meet Alycia Parks of the U.S. in the late match on centre court.
The 21-year-old Eala — the No. 25 seed and ranked 20th — became the first Filipino to pick up a WTA win when she bested world No. 3 Jessica Pegula in Monday's rain-delayed D.C. Open final.
Cross fell 7-6 (2), 6-3 to Ann Li of the U.S. after the 21-year-old from London, Ont., shocked the US$7.4-million tournament Monday by upsetting Britain's Katie Boulter to earn a first tour victory in just her third match.
Seeded players advancing Wednesday included Andreeva, Pegula, No. 2 Elena Rybakina, No. 4 Coco Gauff, No. 11 Naomi Osaka, No. 12 Belinda Bencic, No. 13 Iva Jovic, No. 20 Elise Mertens and No. 29 Maria Sakkari.
Caty McNally secured the biggest upset of the day by defeating No. 6 Linda Noskova, while Alina Korneeva downed No. 23 Emma Navarro, Taylor Townsend moved on past No. 21 Marie Bouzkova, and Liudmila Samsonova beat No. 22 Barbora Krejcikova.
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka won her second-round opener Tuesday night in the four-time Grand Slam winner's return to action after disappointing results at the French Open and Wimbledon.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 5, 2026.
Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press
