Canada’s Leylah Fernandez moved on to the quarterfinals of the Rothesay Classic grass-court tennis tournament with a 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 win over Switzerland’s Viktorija Golubic on Wednesday.
Fernandez, from Laval, Que., claimed the only break point on offer in the third set to win the match in two hours 21 minutes in Birmingham, England.
Golubic went ahead after winning a similarly clean set in the first when she converted the only available break point.
Both players had struggles holding serve in the second set. Fernandez was broken three times on five break points but converted on four of nine breaks to take the set and even the match at 1-1.
WATCH | Fernandez completes comeback, advances to Rothesay Classic quarters:
Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Que., came from behind to beat Viktorija Golubic of Switzerland 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 to advance to the quarterfinals of the Rothesay Classic in Birmingham, England.
Fernandez, the sixth seed in Birmingham, will face Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic in the quarterfinals of the WTA 250 event.
In women’s doubles action, Ottawa’s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand lost 6-3, 6-2 in their first-round match against Belgium’s Greet Minnen and Britain’s Heather Watson. Dabrowski and Routliffe were seeded second after winning a title last week in Nottingham, England.
Raonic bounced from Queen’s Club
Canada’s Milos Raonic lost to fourth-seeded American Taylor Fritz 7-6 (5), 6-4 in second-round action Wednesday at the Queen’s Club Championships tennis tournament.
The 33-year-old from Thornhill, Ont., came into the match following a first-round win over Cameron Norrie in which he set a record for aces in an ATP three-set match with 47.
He was held to nine aces Wednesday, two fewer than Fritz, in the first meeting between the players.
WATCH | Raonic eliminated at Queen’s Club:
American and no. 4 seed Taylor Fritz defeated Milos Raonic of Thornhill, Ont., 7-6(5), 6-4 in the Round of 16 at the Queen’s Club in London.
Raonic seemed poised to win the first set when he took a 5-3 lead in the tiebreak, but Fritz scored the next four points.
Fritz then picked up a key break to go up 5-4 in the second set before serving for the win.
Raonic, a Wimbledon finalist in 2016, has played just 10 matches this year (6-4) as he continues to deal with injuries, but has looked competitive on grass so far after advancing to the quarterfinals of the Libema Open last week.
Earlier, Sebastian Korda beat former Queen’s Club champion Grigor Dimitrov to reach the quarterfinals at the grass-court tournament.
Korda, who reached the final on grass in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands last week as he prepares for Wimbledon, won their second-round match 6-4, 3-6, 7-5.
Andy Murray unsure of readiness for Wimbledon
Andy Murray retired from his second-round match at Queen’s Club because of a back injury, raising doubts about what is expected to be his final Wimbledon appearance.
The 37-year-old Murray stopped playing while trailing Jordan Thompson 4-1, and the former No. 1 player said he’d get scans on Thursday.
The two-time Wimbledon champion, who has signalled his intention to retire later this year, said he “wouldn’t know” about whether he’ll be ready when play starts July 1 at the All England Club.
Murray, who has won the Queen’s Club title five times, said he was experiencing problems with his right leg even before getting to the court. He was in obvious pain during the warmup and into the match.
After three games, Murray received treatment on his surgically repaired right hip, right knee and lower back.