Bianca Andreescu, the winner of the 2019 women’s singles title, along with Canadian player Carson Branstine, secured victories on Wednesday to progress to the final stage of the U.S. Open qualifying rounds.
Hailing from Mississauga, Ontario, Andreescu triumphed with a 6-0, 6-3 win against Veronika Podrez of Ukraine in the second round of the women’s singles qualifying competition. The 26-year-old Canadian managed to break her opponent five times out of 12 opportunities, setting up a match for Thursday against either Tamara Zidansek from Slovenia or Guiomar Maristany from Spain.
Meanwhile, Branstine, a 25-year-old dual citizen born in California but representing her mother’s home country, clinched a 6-4, 7-5 victory over Linda Fruhvirtova from Czechia. Branstine capitalized on all five of her break-point chances and delivered 22 winners compared to Fruhvirtova’s eight. She is set to face Robin Montgomery from the United States on Thursday for a chance to secure one of the remaining spots in the main draw.
Notably, Andreescu made history during the 2019 U.S. Open by becoming the first Canadian to win a singles Grand Slam, defeating the iconic Serena Williams in the final. She last participated in the tournament in 2024, where she was eliminated in the first round by Maria Sakkari.
On the other hand, Branstine encountered an early exit in last year’s U.S. Open qualifying round. Her debut in a Grand Slam event took place earlier in 2025 at Wimbledon, where she emerged from the qualifiers, defeating her friend and occasional doubles partner, Andreescu, along the way.
In other matches on Wednesday, Vancouver’s experienced player Rebecca Marino suffered a 6-2, 6-4 defeat against Russia’s Elena Pridankina in the second round of qualifying. In men’s second-round qualifying matches, Alexis Galarneau from Levis, Quebec, was defeated 7-6 (3), 6-2 by Dalibor Svrcina from Czechia. Liam Draxl from Newmarket, Ontario, was scheduled to compete against American Andrew Johnson later in the day.
This ongoing action in the U.S. Open qualifying rounds showcases the competitive spirit and talent of the players vying for coveted spots in the main draw.
