New York—Bianca Andreescu and Liam Draxl both fell in the final round of U.S. Open qualifying Friday, leaving Canada without a singles entrant in the main draw for the year.
Andreescu, the 2019 U.S. Open women’s champion, was defeated in three sets by Slovenia’s Tamara Zidansek, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, in the decisive qualifying match. The loss ended her bid to reach the main draw through the qualifying rounds.
Draxl, competing on the men’s side, also lost in three sets. He dropped a 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7) decision to Australia’s Tristan Schoolkate in a tense final-round contest that clinched the Australian’s progress to the main draw while leaving Draxl on the sidelines.
The outcomes mean no Canadian players will enter the U.S. Open singles competition via the qualifying tournament. The accompanying image accompanying media coverage shows both Andreescu and Draxl in action during the qualifying matches, underscoring the Canadian end to the qualifying campaign.
In Friday’s play, Andreescu briefly mounted a comeback after dropping the opening set, but Zidansek ultimately prevailed in a three-set battle. Draxl’s match extended into a decisive tiebreak, where Schoolkate sealed the victory to reach the main draw.
With Friday’s results, the U.S. Open singles field will proceed without Canadian qualifiers from these rounds. The news closes the door on Andreescu’s and Draxl’s attempts to supplement their entry into the tournament through the qualifying rounds, at least for this edition.
