Canada’s Leylah Fernandez and Czech partner Katerina Siniakova have been eliminated in the second round of women’s doubles competition at the Madrid Open following a 6-1, 6-4 loss to Slovakia’s Tereza Mihalikova and Norway’s Ulrikke Eikeri.
Mihalikova and Eikeri made the most of their service game, winning 65 per cent of total service points compared to 54.3 per cent for Fernandez and Siniakova.
Fernandez, from Laval, Que., and Siniakova were broken four times on 10 chances. They had six opportunities to break their opponents, but converted just once.
Fernandez and Siniakova had advanced to the second round with a 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4), 10-7 win over sixth-seeds Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil and Anna Danilina of Kazakhstan on Saturday.
Canada’s Denis Shapovalov is through to the second round of the Madrid Open with a 7-6 (1), 6-3 win over France’s Ugo Humbert. Shapovalov, seeded 14th in Madrid, defended all nine break points he faced and cashed in on his lone chance to break, coming in the second set. With the win, Shapovalov, from Richmond Hill, Ont., improved his career record over Humbert to 3-1. Shapovalov will next face Britain’s Andy Murray. The former world No. 1 beat former No. 3 Dominic Thiem, who was playing just his third event since returning from a wrist injury, 6-3, 6-4.
Bianca Andreescu of Mississauga, Ont., is the last Canadian remaining in singles competition. She is scheduled to take on Jessica Pegula of the United States in third-round action on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Simona Halep continued to impress at the Madrid Open by overpowering American teenager Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-4 to make the quarterfinals.
A two-time Madrid Open champion, Halep upset No. 2-ranked Paula Badosa in the second round.
The 21st-ranked Halep converted three of her five break opportunities to close out the centre-court match against 16th-ranked Gauff. She rallied from a break down in the second set, winning the last five games.
Halep won consecutive titles in Madrid in 2016 and 2017, and was runner-up in 2014 and 2019. She has 30 main draw wins, behind only the 31 she has at the Australian Open and Roland Garros.
Halep will face eighth-seeded Ons Jabeur, who defeated Belinda Bencic 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 in a match interrupted by rain after the second set.
On the men’s side, Jannik Sinner saved three match points in beating Tommy Paul 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4), 6-3. The Italian next has Alex de Minaur, who beat Pedro Martinez 7-6 (2), 1-6, 6-3.
The top-ranked Novak Djokovic is scheduled to debut on Tuesday against Gael Monfils, who comfortably defeated Spaniard Carlos Gimeno Valero 6-3, 6-0.