Canada’s Leylah Fernandez advanced smoothly into the third round of the Charleston Open tennis tournament, earning a decisive 6-2, 6-1 victory over Uzbekistan’s Polina Kudermetova on Wednesday.
Seeded ninth in this prestigious WTA 500 hardcourt event, Fernandez capitalized on four out of nine break points while successfully defending against all three break opportunities she encountered, concluding the match in just one hour and 15 minutes.
The 23-year-old from Laval, Quebec, aims for a strong showing in South Carolina following a challenging start to her season, where she entered with a record of 3-8.
Next up for Fernandez is a match against seventh seed Diana Shnaider. The two have faced each other four times previously, splitting the victories, though Shnaider has secured wins in their last two encounters.
Later on Wednesday, Bianca Andreescu from Mississauga, Ontario, was set to battle 16th-seeded American Sofia Kenin.
Andreescu kicked off the tournament with an impressive 1-6, 6-4, 6-1 triumph over Hungary’s Dalma Galfi, marking her first WTA Tour main-draw win of the season as a former world No. 4.
