Canada’s Leylah Fernandez advanced to her first semifinal of the season with a 6-4, 7-6 (4) win over American qualifier and former doubles partner Taylor Townsend on Friday at the Citi Open hard court tennis tournament in Washington, D.C. Fernandez played an aggressive return game against Townsend and had 23 break-point chances, converting five. Still, Fernandez only finished the game one break ahead after defending just three of the seven break-point chances she faced. Fernandez, who advanced to the quarterfinals with a win Thursday over top-seed Jessica Pegula, appeared to be battling cramps in the second set, but held on…

Winning still feels great for Gabriela Dabrowski, but it’s not the be-all and end-all like it used to be. Ever since her battle with cancer last year, swinging a tennis racket has taken on a new meaning. “Tennis really feels like it’s not the No. 1 thing in life anymore,” Dabrowski said. “If it was taken away from me tomorrow? Yeah, I would be sad. But if I’m healthy, then to me, that’s all that really matters. “There are bigger problems in life than winning a tennis match.” Last December, the 33-year-old doubles star from Ottawa revealed months after the…

Chloe Moore steps up to the plate, stares down her pitching coach and then rips a deep, fly ball into the outfield. She loves that feeling, and can’t wait to chase it again when Team P.E.I.’s women’s softball team competes at the Canada Games in August. The squad has been training since September, and the players like their chances. “It’s a little intimidating, but I think we have it in the bag,” said Moore, an outfielder. “I think it’s going to be way more competitive and exciting to play really hard teams.” WATCH | Women’s softball players fired up to represent P.E.I. at Canada…

The path for a homegrown tennis player to win the men’s Canadian Open title for the first time in the Open Era is set. Felix Auger-Aliassime, Denis Shapovalov and Gabriel Diallo were each placed in separate quadrants as the National Bank Open draw took place at Sobeys Stadium on Friday in Toronto. All three receive byes to the second round as part of the revamped tournament format, which will feature 96 players and take place over 12 days for the first time. The 2025 tournament marks the first time in history that three Canadian men will be seeded. Montreal’s Auger-Aliassime…

WARNING: This article references alleged sexual assault and may affect those who have experienced​ ​​​sexual violence or know someone impacted by it. Five former world junior hockey players on Thursday were found not guilty of sexual assault, prompting a wave of reaction — including from the NHL and the league’s players’ association — and a scathing rebuke from defence lawyers about how Hockey Canada handled the accusations.  Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia spent over five hours recounting the evidence before handing down the rulings in London, Ont., court. Only select media were allowed in the main courtroom, due to the overwhelming number of people jockeying to get a seat,…

In the summer of 2018, Laura Stacey had an Olympic silver medal to her name, and little sense of what might be next for her. Two years after she’d graduated from Dartmouth College, Stacey had just won the Clarkson Cup, the top prize of the now-defunct Canadian Women’s Hockey League, with the Markham Thunder. But pro women’s hockey didn’t pay the bills back then, and Stacey’s spot on the national team was far from guaranteed. “I remember my parents asking me early on when I graduated [in 2016], how long are you going to do this for?” the Montreal Victoire…