The semi-finalists of the 2019 Tevlin Challenger have been decided with the tournament’s top three seeds still in the hunt for the title. Part of the ITF Women’s Circuit, the Tevlin Challenger offers $60,000 in total prize money and is being played on the courts of Aviva Centre in Toronto with admission free of charge for spectators.
Top seed Kirsten Flipkens continued her fine form with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Elitsa Kostova (No. 7) of Bulgaria. The Belgian made short work of Kostova, clinching her passage through to Saturday’s semi-final in just one hour and 16 minutes. Great Britain’s Samantha Murray, a beaten semi-finalist in Saguenay last week, will face Flipkens in the last four having defeated Indy De Vroome of the Netherlands 7-5, 3-6, 6-1 in her quarter-final.
Francesca Di Lorenzo (No. 2) of the United States also advanced to the semi-finals following an entertaining victory over compatriot Catherine Harrison. Di Lorenzo went a set down after losing a tiebreak 9-7 in the first before battling back to win the second set comfortably 6-1 and the third set 6-4. The American will face Bibiane Schoofs (No. 3) of the Netherlands on Saturday after the 31-year-old overcame Jessika Ponchet (No. 6) of France 6-4, 6-4.
In doubles action, Canadian duo Leylah Annie Fernandez (Laval, QC) and Melodie Collard (Gatineau, QC) made it to their second final in the space of just a few days having claimed the Saguenay doubles crown last week. They saw off the challenge of Harrison and Peangtarn Plipuech 6-3, 6-2 and their reward is a clash with Robin Anderson and Ponchet (No. 4), who defeated Emina Bektas and Tara Moore 6-2, 6-4.
Saturday’s doubles final will begin no earlier than 1:30 p.m. on Saturday and will follow the singles semi-finals, which begin at 11:00 a.m.