For the second week in a row, an ITF event in Quebec saw an all-American final as Jessica Failla claimed the title, beating countrywoman Jessie Aney in straight sets for the title in Montreal.
Failla’s 6-4, 6-3 victory earned her the first ITF singles title of her career. She had previously won three ITF doubles titles.
For Aney, it was a second consecutive single final defeat at the hands of a fellow American in Quebec. She lost to Catherine Harrison last week in the Brossard final.
The biggest threats to Failla during her title run came from the hosts as the only two sets she lost both came against Canadians.
In round one, wildcard Clemence Mercier, who had reached the semifinals in Brossard the week before, pushed Failla to a decider. Then in the quarter-finals, Rhea Verma took the opening set in a tiebreak before the eventual champion rallied for a three-set win.
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While no Canadians reached the semifinals like Mercier had the week prior, three got to the quarter-finals. Along with Verma, Emma Dong lost to Brit Bronte Murgett in the last eight, while Ana Grubor, the highest-ranked Canadian in the draw, fell to Dasha Ivanova of the United States.
Top seed Alice Robbe saw her campaign end against a Canadian in round one. The Frenchwoman was trailing local qualifier Mariya Dobreva 7-5, 3-0 when she retired. Dobreva then lost in an all-Canadian second-round match with Dong.
Doubles Redemption for Aney
Jessie Aney will not be leaving Quebec with just runner-up trophies after her two singles losses. She was crowned doubles champion in Montreal alongside Alice Robbe as the No. 1-seeded pair denied Ahston Bowers and Zuzanna Pawlikowska of a Quebec double with a comeback win in the final.
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Bowers and Pawlikowska were looking for back-to-back titles in Brossard and Montreal but could not finish off the top seeds after taking the opening set. Aney and Robbe claimed the title with a 5-7, 6-3, 10-3 win.
In the quarter-finals, the top seeds took out the last Canadians in the doubles draw, Clemence Mercier and Anna-Raphaelle Serghi, in straight sets.
Mercier and Serghi were the only Canadians to get out of the first round.
The next ITF pro event in Canada will also be in Quebec, but the Laval M25 does not get underway until Canada Day on July 1.
