Andreescu, fellow Canadian Draxl lose in final round of U.S. Open qualifying
Canadian tennis players Bianca Andreescu and Liam Draxl were eliminated in the final round of U.S. Open qualifying. Meanwhile, the tournament announced a record $108 million prize purse following pressure from players for better compensation.
Why it matters
The increase in prize money and the formation of an advisory council mark a shift in the power dynamics between professional tennis players and tournament organizers.
Andreescu fell 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 to Slovenia's Tamara Zidansek. The 2019 U.S. Open women's champion from Mississauga, Ont., fired seven aces across the two-hour 44-minute match but struggled on net points, winning just 10 of the 21 available.
The match started Thursday but had to be suspended due to rain. Andreescu was up 2-0 at the time.
Draxl of Newmarket, Ont., also had his qualifying match against Australia's Tristan Schoolkate pushed to Friday before losing 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7).
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Both players scored four breaks, but Schoolkate was the last to win against serve to go up 4-3 in the third set and erase an early Draxl advantage.
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