Bianca Andreescu must resolve Jasmine Paolini at a significant if she goes to go on a run on the US Open. And her reward might be an all-Canadian conflict with Leylah Annie Fernandez not far down the highway within the draw.
The singles attracts for the 2024 US Open, the ultimate Grand Slam occasion of the yr, had been launched on Thursday, with 4 Canadians studying their destiny. Gabriel Diallo will even be competing in the primary draw as a qualifier.
2019 US Open champion Andreescu returns to the location of her biggest triumph, having missed the match in 2023 however will likely be examined proper out of the gate. For the third main in a row, the Canadian will meet the world No. 5 Paolini, solely this time within the first spherical.
Paolini beat Andreescu within the third spherical of each the French Open and Wimbledon earlier than happening to succeed in the finals.
If the Canadian manages to unravel her nemesis, she would meet both former world No. 1 Karolina Pliskova or Mayar Sherif within the second spherical, with No. 30 seed Yulia Putintseva probably looming in spherical three.
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Andreescu has by no means failed to succeed in a minimum of the third spherical when enjoying within the New York essential draw.
There might be an all-Canadian conflict within the fourth spherical of the ladies’s singles as Andreescu and Leylah Annie Fernandez, seeded twenty third, are in the identical part of the draw.
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So as to make it occur on her finish, Fernandez will first need to beat Anastasia Potapova, in opposition to whom Fernandez has a 4-0 head-to-head benefit together with two wins on clay in in 2024, within the first spherical, adopted by both Brenda Fruhvirtova or a qualifier in spherical two.
The primary potential seeded opponent in Fernandez’s path is world No. 10 Jelena Ostapenko, who upset world No. 1 Iga Swiatek on her strategy to the quarter-finals of final yr’s US Open, in spherical three and received her solely conflict with Fernandez at Wimbledon in 2021, though the Latvian faces two-time champion Naomi Osaka within the first spherical.
Ought to one of many two Canadians make it by way of to the quarter-finals, they may face No. 4 seed Elena Rybakina. They’re within the high half of the draw with Swiatek.
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Fernandez is rounding into type properly forward of the US Open. Whereas she bowed out early at her ultimate warm-up occasion in Cleveland, she reached the quarter-finals of Cincinnati earlier in August with wins over Rybakina and Diana Shnaider earlier than falling to the red-hot Jessica Pegula.
The 2021 runner-up will likely be trying to bounce again in New York after a disappointing first-round loss in 2023. She has a 1-2 report on the US Open since that stunning run to the ultimate three years in the past.
Félix Auger-Aliassime would be the highest-seeded Canadian in singles at No. 19. He will likely be examined proper out of the gate by Jakub Mensik of Czechia. The 2 met earlier this yr within the second spherical of Madrid, with the Canadian successful seven of eight video games earlier than the Czech retired.
With a win, the Montrealer would meet both Tristan Schoolkate or Taro Daniel. From there, he probably faces a gauntlet of stars beginning with Stefanos Tsitsipas in spherical three adopted by 2021 champion Daniil Medvedev, who owns a 7-1 head-to-head benefit over Auger-Aliassime though the Canadian scored his first win within the rivalry of their final assembly (albeit in on clay), after which presumably the winner of the final two majors this yr Carlos Alcaraz within the quarter-finals.
Whereas traditionally Auger-Aliassime’s finest outcomes have come on laborious courts, together with all 5 of his profession titles and his 2021 run to the US Open semifinals (his finest look at a significant), he has been at his finest on clay in 2024 the place he reached his first Masters 1000 ultimate in Madrid, had his finest main end result at Roland-Garros by reaching the fourth spherical, and went deep on the Olympics, ending fourth in singles and claiming bronze in blended doubles.
The Canadian No. 1 did have a strong run in his final occasion in Cincinnati, taking down world No. 8 Casper Ruud earlier than falling in a controversial round-of-sixteen conflict.
Denis Shapovalov is utilizing his protected rating to play the US Open, traditionally his most constant main. In his first six journeys to New York, he reached a minimum of the third spherical each time, peaking with a quarter-final run in 2020. He missed the 2023 occasion with a knee harm.
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He faces an enormous battle to be able to maintain that streak of all the time reaching the third spherical alive. He opens in opposition to Botic van de Zandschulp however is in line to fulfill Alcaraz within the second spherical. The Spaniard received their lone earlier assembly at Roland-Garros in 2023.
Like the ladies, the Canadian males are in the identical part of the draw and, in the event that they each full a number of upsets, may meet within the quarter-finals. They’re additionally within the high half with the No. 1 seed, Jannik Sinner, a possible semifinal opponent.
Diallo will likely be competing in his second Grand Slam essential draw, having come by way of qualifying. He certified for his first main earlier this yr at Roland-Garros. He clinched his spot on the US Open with a straight-set win over Valentin Royer within the ultimate spherical of qualifying on Thursday.
He’ll study his destiny in the primary draw as soon as all qualifying matches have concluded.
The doubles draw will likely be made on Sunday.
