dabrowski

Canada’s Gabriela Dabrowski and New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe opened their U.S. Open women’s doubles title defence Thursday with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Canada’s Leylah Fernandez and Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan.

Fernandez, from Laval, Que., and Putintseva broke serve on their first opportunity but their top-seeded opponents took the next four games en route to victory in 71 minutes. 

Dabrowski, from Ottawa, and Routliffe will play American Catherine Harrison and Poland’s Alicja Rosolska in the second round. 

In men’s singles, Montreal qualifier Gabriel Diallo was scheduled to meet 24th-seeded Arthur Fils of France later Thursday in second-round play.

Dabrowski won mixed doubles bronze at the Paris Olympics earlier this month with Montreal’s Felix Auger-Aliassime.