Photo : Sarah-Jäde Champagne

Three Canadian players booked a spot into the quarter-finals at the 2019 edition of the National Bank Canadian Open Junior Championships. Sanctioned by the International Tennis Federation (ITF), the Grade 1 junior tournament is being held from August 25 to 31 at Parc De La Rochelle in Repentigny.

The first Canadian in action on Wednesday was the 17-year-old Ontario native Jada Bui. She got the better of the tournament’s eight seed Selena Janicijevic of France by a score of 7-5, 6-1 to book her spot in the quarter-finals for the first time in Repentigny. In her only other appearance at the junior event, Bui fell in in the third round. This is a breakout year for the young Canadian on the junior circuit, reaching her maiden Grade 1 quarter-final and capturing her first Grade 3 title in Monterrey, Mexico.

Photo : Sarah-Jäde Champagne

Up next for Bui, she will face fellow Canadian Ariana Arseneault, who upset the tournament’s No. 1 seed Natsumi Kawaguchi of Japan by a score of 6-4, 7-6(8). Playing in Repentigny for the fourth time in her young career, her best previous result was reaching the second round in 2017. Occasional doubles partners, Bui and Arseneault will face-off in singles for the second time. Their first encounter came in September of 2018 when Arseneault got the better of her compatriot at the Grade 2 junior event in Montreal.

On the boy’s side, Joshua Lapadat flew into the quarter-finals thanks to an expedient 6-0, 6-1 victory over the Italian Luciano Darderi. In his previous match, the young Canadian got the better of the no. 2 seed Emilio Nava of the United States. The 16-year-old Lapadat, who received a Wild Card into the main draw, will next face Francesco Maestrelli of Italy.

Photo : Sarah-Jäde Champagne

Other notable results on Wednesday include the no. 6 in the girls’ draw, Sohyun Park of Korea, defeating Canadian Rachel Hanford with a 6-2, 6-3 victory. Ontario native Marina Stakusic was also eliminated on Wednesday, falling at the hands of Ane Mintegi Del Olmo of Spain, the 10th seed.

The National Bank Canadian Open Junior Championships is the only Grade 1 ITF junior tournament in Canada. The tournament welcomes the best players from around the world between the ages of 14 and 18.

 

*Feature photo : Sarah-Jäde Champagne

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