Fil-Canadian teen Fernandez makes US Open quarterfinals

ANKARA – Canadian teenage tennis player Leylah Fernandez reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal, eliminating 2016 champion Angelique Kerber in the US Open round four match on Sunday.

Fernandez, 19, beat her 33-year-old German opponent 2-1 with sets of 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 at Louis Armstrong Stadium, New York City.

The Canadian player previously eliminated Japanese star Naomi Osaka in the women’s third round.

World no. three Osaka is a four-time Grand Slam singles champion. She claimed two Australian Open and two US Open titles.

Osaka is the defending winner at the US Open 2020 and the Australian Open 2021.

In the quarterfinals, Fernandez will face fifth seed Elina Svitolina from Ukraine for a semifinal berth.

Earlier Sunday, Svitolina, 26, beat Romania’s Simona Halep 6-3, 6-3 to advance to the quarterfinal phase.

Halep was a former French Open and Wimbledon champion.

Teen Alcaraz’s rise continues

Meanwhile in men’s singles, the fairy tale run of Carlos Alcaraz goes on with a five-set win against Peter Gojowczyk.

The 18-year-old Spanish national beat Gojowczyk with sets of 5-7, 6-1, 5-7, 6-2, 6-0 to qualify for his first major quarterfinal.

Alcaraz has drawn attention after eliminating world no. three Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece in the US Open third round.

The 2021 US Open will run through Sept. 12.