Canada's Leylah Fernandez upset in second round of National Bank Open

Leylah Annie Fernandez of Canada walks off the court after being defeated by Ashlyn Krueger of the USA at the National Bank Open in Toronto on Thursday August 8, 2024. (The Canadian Press /Frank Gunn)

Leylah Fernandez is out of the singles draw at the National Bank Open.

The Canadian tennis star was upset 6-4, 6-2 by American qualifier Ashlyn Krueger in second-round action Thursday.

Fernandez — the tournament's No. 15 seed from Laval, Que. — was the last Canadian player remaining at the country's signature event, including the men's bracket in Montreal.

Marina Stakusic, a 19-year-old wild card of Mississauga, Ont., was thumped 6-0, 6-2 by Taylor Townsend of the U.S. earlier in the day.

In other notable results, No. 1 seed Coco Gauff of the U.S. cruised past Yafan Wang 6-4, 6-2 and No. 6 Liudmila Samsonova of Russia beat Japan's Moyuka Uchijima 6-4, 6-2 at the US$3.2-million women's showcase.

No. 10 Anna Kalinskaya of Russia defeated Ukraine's Lesia Tsurenko, who eliminated Mississauga's Bianca Andreescu in the opening round, by a count of 6-2, 6-2. No. 11 Marta Kostyuk — also of Ukraine — topped compatriot 6-2, 2-6, 6-2, while No. 14 Diana Shnaider of Russia outlasted Poland's Magdalena Frech 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5).

No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus was slated to face China's Yue Yuan in the night session.

Ranked No. 25 on the WTA Tour, Fernandez had a chance to break Krueger down 5-4 in the first set on home soil, but was unable to finish the job up 40-0 on an overcast day at Sobeys Stadium.

The 82nd-ranked American picked up a break in the first game of the second set and led 3-1 before holding to go up 4-2 thanks to some terrific serving.

Krueger, 20, then broke the frustrated Fernandez again to take a 5-2 edge before finishing things off on a third match point to secure an impressive victory.

The pair's only head-to-head meeting was in June on grass at the Rothesay International when the Canadian picked up an emphatic 6-2, 6-1 victory.

Stakusic, meanwhile, advanced to the second after coming back to beat Russia's Erika Andreeva in three sets less than 24 hours earlier on the York University campus.

She showed some life in the second set by winning two games and getting back on serve against Townsend, but the world No. 160 couldn't keep the momentum going against the 71st-ranked American.

Townsend earned a spot in the women's bracket as an injury replacement before first-round opponent and No. 16 seed Dayana Yastremska retired from their Tuesday match.

Fernandez, who made the 2021 U.S. Open singles final, and younger sister Bianca were also scheduled to play doubles against Krueger and American partner Catherine Harrison later Thursday.

The Canadian team of Edmonton's Mia Kupres and Ariana Arseneault of Richmond Hill, Ont., advanced to the quarterfinals in doubles after Czechia's Marie Bouzkova was forced to withdraw from their match alongside Kazakhstan's Anna Danilina because of an ankle injury.

The NBO men's singles competition at IGA Stadium in Montreal saw its remaining Canadians ousted Wednesday when Felix Auger-Aliassime, Denis Shapovalov and Vasek Posipsil were all eliminated.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 8, 2024