Canadian veteran Rebecca Marino advances to second round of U.S. Open qualifying

Canadian veteran Rebecca Marino moved a step closer to a second straight appearance in the U.S. Open women’s singles main draw with a 6-1, 6-4 win over France’s Fiona Fero in first-round qualifying action Monday.

The 35-year-old from Vancouver had eight aces and broke Fero four times on six chances.

Marino made it through qualifying last year at the final Grand Slam of the season before losing to fellow Canadian Leylah Fernandez in the first round.

She will next face Russia’s Elena Pridankina in the three-round qualifying tournament.

Canadians Kayla Cross, Carson Branstine, Katherine Sebov and 2019 U.S. Open champion Bianca Andreescu were set to play qualifying matches later Monday.

In the opening round of mixed doubles qualifying, the second-seeded team of Ottawa’s Gabriela Dabrowski and Finland’s Harri Heliovaara were upset 2-4, 4-1, 10-8 by Kristina Mladenovic of France and Marcelo Arevalo of El Salvador.

Dabrowski is also expected to compete in women’s doubles at the U.S. Open. She won the title at last year’s tournament alongside former partner Erin Routliffe, their second U.S. Open championship in three years.