Canadian tennis star Leylah Fernandez will have to put her ambitions for a WTA doubles title on hold.
In an intense women’s doubles final at the HSBC Championships, Slovakia’s Tereza Mihalikova and Britain’s Olivia Nicholls emerged victorious, overcoming Fernandez and her German partner Laura Siegemund with a score of 6-3, 6-7 (4), 10-5.
Fernandez and Siegemund advanced to the final after their opponents, Americans Iva Jovic and McCartney Kessler, withdrew. Jovic had just faced a tough defeat against Britain’s Emma Raducanu in the singles semifinals, losing 6-2, 6-2.
Currently ranked 23rd in women’s singles, Fernandez was eager to clinch her first WTA doubles title, having already secured five singles titles in her career.
Despite dropping the first set, Fernandez and Siegemund rallied back, making crucial breaks to reach 6-6 before claiming the second-set tiebreaker at 7-4. However, Mihalikova and Nicholls found their rhythm in the final set to seal their victory.
During the match, Fernandez and Siegemund showcased their skills with five aces and no double faults. They converted on two of their five break points but were unfortunately broken three times out of six opportunities.
