In a surprising turn of events, Canada’s Leylah Fernandez faced a tough defeat, falling 6-4, 7-6 (1) to Turkey’s Zeynep Sonmez during the opening round of the Nottingham Open on Friday.
Seeded second at the WTA 205 grass-court tournament, Fernandez showcased her serve with seven aces. However, she struggled with four double-faults and was broken three times throughout the match.
This match marked a ceiling for Sonmez, who leveled her head-to-head record against Fernandez to 1-1.
Earlier this year, Fernandez claimed victory over Sonmez in a thrilling three-set battle at the clay-court Stuttgart Open.
The 23-year-old competitor from Laval, Quebec, saw her season record dip to 11-17 with this latest outcome.
Ranked No. 22 in the world, Fernandez has unfortunately exited in the first round in four of her last five tournaments.
