Canada’s Stakusic out of San Diego Open after second-round loss to Vekic

SAN DIEGO — Canadian teen Marina Stakusic was eliminated in the second round of the San Diego Open tennis tournament with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 loss to seventh seed Dora Vekic of Croatia on Thursday.

Stakusic was playing in her first WTA 500-level tournament.

The 19-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., won two matches in qualifying before defeating Russian veteran Marina Melnikova 6-4, 5-7, 6-1 in the first round on Monday.

Stakusic showed some flashes against Vekic, landing six aces in the match and going up an early break in the third set.