Photo : Martin Sidorjak
The all-Canadian doubles team of Gabriela Dabrowski and Leylah Fernandez’s bid for an upset fell just short on Sunday at the French Open.
The pair were defeated in three sets by Katerina Siniakova and Barbora Krejcikova, the second seeds at this year’s French Open, in the third round of the women’s doubles competition 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.
The Canadians did a good job of rallying after a nightmare start to the match and pushed the 2018 French Open doubles champions to a deciding set, but ultimately fell short.
Fernandez and Dabrowski won a solid 71 percent of their first serve points, but struggled on their second, only winning 44 percent of those points. They saved six of nine break points they faced, but only converted two of their seven opportunities.
The Czech team raced out of the gate, breaking twice on their way to a quick 5-1 lead in the opening set.
Fernandez and Dabrowski fought back and managed to reclaim one of the breaks but were unable to get a second and dropped the first set 6-3.
After saving break points at 1-all in the second set on Dabrowski’s serve, the Canadians turned around and managed to grab a break of their own in the next game to take a 3-1 lead. That lone break was enough to force a deciding set.
The Canadians had two chances to break in the opening game of the third set but were unable to convert. They immediately paid the price when the Czech’s broke Fernandez’s serve in the following game for a 2-0 lead.
Krejcikova and Siniakova locked down after getting the break lead, not giving the Canadians any chances to break back and hung on to that lead to claim victory.
The Czechs only won two more points in the match than the Canadians.
Sharon Fichman is now the last Canadian standing at the 2021 French Open, as she finds herself in the third round of the women’s doubles alongside partner Giuliana Olmos.
