Canada’s Leylah Fernandez progressed to the quarterfinals of the Madrid Open by defeating Ann Li in straight sets on Monday. Fernandez, the 24th seed, secured a 6-3, 6-2 victory over the 31st-seeded American in the Round of 16 of the clay-court competition. In another match, men’s third seed Félix Auger-Aliassime from Montreal suffered a surprise defeat to Belgium’s Alexander Blockx with a score of 7-6 (3), 6-3 in the men’s third round.
During the match, Fernandez, hailing from Laval, Que., capitalized on three out of eight break-point opportunities, serving six aces and winning 75.6% of her first-serve points in a match lasting one hour and 23 minutes. On the other hand, Li failed to convert either of her two break chances. Fernandez became only the second Canadian to reach the quarterfinals in Madrid and matched her best career result in a WTA 1000 event by reaching the quarterfinals in Guadalajara in 2023 and Doha and Cincinnati in 2024.
“We’ve been putting in the hard work,” Fernandez stated. “Seeing the results pay off feels rewarding, and I believe that maintaining calm and positivity is the right approach.”
Fernandez is set to face Mirra Andreeva of Russia, the ninth seed, in the quarterfinals, while Auger-Aliassime’s match against Blockx witnessed only two break-point opportunities, with Auger-Aliassime missing a chance to take a 2-0 lead in the first set, ultimately leading to his defeat. Auger-Aliassime, who entered Madrid with a career-high world ranking of No. 5, now holds an 18-8 win-loss record this season.
Meanwhile, at the Madrid Open, several tennis players, including Coco Gauff, Marin Cilic, and others, have been affected by a stomach virus or food poisoning, causing concern among participants. World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka managed to avoid an upset by Naomi Osaka and mentioned sticking to a simple diet of chicken breast, rice, and salad to prevent illness. Rumors circulating among players suggested that bad shrimp tacos might be the cause of the illness.
Sabalenka, after jokingly mentioning the taco issue, expressed her precautionary measures, including minimizing her time at the Caja Magica tennis complex and increasing her intake of vitamin C. Gauff, despite experiencing vomiting during her match against Sorana Cirstea, continued to play and showed no signs of illness in her subsequent game against Linda Noskova.
Cilic, on the other hand, had to withdraw from his match against João Fonseca due to food poisoning, explaining his physical exhaustion. Sabalenka staged a remarkable comeback after being a set and a break down against Osaka, eventually winning the match 6-7 (1), 6-3, 6-2 in two hours and 20 minutes to secure a spot in the quarterfinals and maintain her title defense hopes.
Sabalenka praised Osaka’s performance and acknowledged the tough fight she had to endure, emphasizing the importance of perseverance. Having won her 15th consecutive match, Sabalenka is set to face Hailey Baptiste in the quarterfinals, who defeated Belinda Bencic in a thrilling match that included the longest tour-level regular tiebreaker since 2024, according to the WTA.