Monday Digest: Dabrowski and Routliffe Qualify for WTA Finals

Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe are heading again to the WTA Finals. 

On Monday, the WTA introduced that the Canadian-Kiwi duo had been amongst three groups to clinch their spot in Riyadh. They’re at present fourth within the 2024 race having reached 5 finals this season, together with two WTA 1000s and Wimbledon, with one title in Nottingham. 

Will probably be Dabrowski’s sixth look on the WTA Finals and third in a row. She and Routliffe competed on the year-end championships collectively final yr, successful their group with an ideal 3-0 report however misplaced within the semifinals.  

The WTA Finals will happen initially of November, however within the meantime, there may be nonetheless loads of tennis to be performed, together with one other WTA 1000 occasion this week in Asia. 

Right here’s what you should know. 

In Case You Missed It: Quick Week at 1000s 

Sarcastically, the information of Dabrowski and Routliffe’s qualification for Riyadh comes after a disappointing outcome for the pair on the WTA 1000 occasion in Beijing, the place they had been upset within the second spherical by Tereza Mihalikova and Olivia Nicholls. 

Leylah Annie Fernandez additionally misplaced within the second spherical of the Beijing doubles. She and companion Aldila Sutjiadi misplaced to the eventual champions Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini. Fernandez had been eradicated from singles every week prior. 

The ATP’s Asian 1000 occasion, the Shanghai Rolex Masters, obtained underway final week though the match is already over for the Canadians. 

Denis Shapovalov managed to notch a win, his two hundredth on the ATP Tour, by defeating Lorenzo Sonego within the first spherical. He fell in his subsequent match to 14th seed Ben Shelton. 

He had come by way of qualifying to get into the principle draw, as had Gabriel Diallo who misplaced within the first spherical to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. 

Félix Auger-Aliassime misplaced his opening match to France’s Alexandre Muller in straight units. 

What to Watch: Fernandez Already Off and Working in Wuhan 

The second of the 2 Asian WTA 1000 occasions in China, the Wuhan Open, is already underway and Leylah Annie Fernandez made some noise on the primary day of most important draw play. She upset twelfth seed Diana Shnaider in three units to trigger the primary upset of the match. 

Within the second spherical, the Lavalloise will face both Beijing runner-up Karolina Muchova or Moyuka Uchijima, with No. 5 seed Qinwen Zheng probably ready in spherical three. No. 3 Jasmine Paolini is Fernandez’s projected quarter-final opponent and the Canadian is within the backside half of the draw with second seed Jessica Pegula. 

Marina Stakusic misplaced within the first spherical of qualifying. 

Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe are the highest seeds within the girls’s doubles and can face both the all-Chinese language crew of Yafan Wang and Yifan Xu or the Polish-Romanian crew of Magdalena Frech and Viktoriya Tomova within the second spherical after a bye. The highest seeds are projected to face the Beijing champions, Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini, within the semifinals. 

Learn additionally: Dash to the End Line on the WTA Tour

Fernandez can be enjoying doubles alongside Aldila Sutjiadi. They open towards Beatriz Haddad Maia and Laura Siegemund. 

With Shanghai carrying over into this week as the one occasion on the ATP calendar, there aren’t any Canadian males in main-tour motion. 

Beneath the Radar: ITF Returns to Canada 

It was a quieter week for Canada on the decrease excursions. The closest any Canadian professional got here to reaching a last was on the W75 occasion in Rancho Santa Fe the place Katherine Sebov reached the semifinals. Rebecca Marino reached the quarters on the similar occasion. 

There was a Canadian victory on the ITF junior circuit, as Judah McEachern-Brown received the boys singles and doubles titles on the J30 occasion in Managua, Nicaragua.  

The 16-year-old didn’t drop a set on his technique to the singles title, his first ITF junior win, and upset the highest seed within the quarter-finals. In doubles, he and American Juan Carlos Portilla Morales beat one other Canadian, Hubert Poirier and his Costa Rican companion Juan Diego Chacon Quesada, for the title. 

Learn additionally: Masters Replace – Over 70s Deliver Residence the {Hardware}

Canada performs host to the ITF circuit this week with a joint occasion in Edmonton, a W35 for the ladies and M25 for the lads. There’s a heavy Canadian presence in each attracts. As effectively, there may be an ITF wheelchair occasion going down in Fredericton. 

You’ll be able to observe the Canadians in motion each week right here.