The first Canadian champions of this fall’s domestic events were crowned at the W75 Tevlin Challenger as Ariana Arseneault and Raphaëlle Lacasse hoisted the doubles trophy at Sobeys Stadium in Toronto.
The second seeds didn’t spend too much time on court en route to the title match, opening with a comfortable 6-2, 6-3 win before receiving a walkover in the quarter-finals. The Canadians then punched their ticket to Saturday’s final thanks to another straight-sets victory against Emeline Dartron and Margaux Rouvroy of France.
Arseneault and Lacasse, who lost out in the Quebec City final a few weeks before, received a much better treat on Halloween day as they clinched the Tevlin Challenger title with a 6-1, 7-6(3) win over Americans Ayana Akli and Madison Sieg.
The host nation nearly doubled up in Toronto, but third seed Katherine Sebov couldn’t put a stop to American Reese Brantmeier’s hot spell on Canadian soil.
Sebov cruised through her opening two matches, dropping just ten games, while Brantmeier conceded eight and scored two bagels over that same span. The quarters were each player’s toughest test as the Canadian was forced into a decider against Sieg but still managed to close out the match with ease, winning the third set 6-2.
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As for Brantmeier, she needed to come back from a set down against fourth seed Valentina Ryser of Switzerland, and the American did exactly that to reach the semis.
After Sebov won her semifinal contest prior to match point due to an Akli retirement, Brantmeier defeated second seed Kajsa Rinaldo Persson of Sweden to set up a title match against the Torontonian.
Photo: Barry McCluskey
The American spoiled hopes of a Canadian sweep as the seventh-seeded Brantmeier comfortably beat Sebov 6-3, 6-1 for the title.
Brantmeier reached at least the semifinals in each of the last three Canadian events, going back-to-back thanks to triumphs in Saguenay and Toronto. The University of North Carolina Tar Heel also won two doubles titles in as many weeks in Quebec City and Saguenay.
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Feature Photo: Barry McCluskey
