After facing consecutive early departures from the National Bank Open in Montreal and the Cincinnati Open, Leylah Fernandez sought a significant boost in confidence.
The 22-year-old sensation from Laval, Quebec, achieved just that on Monday night in Mexico, securing a 6-3, 7-5 victory against Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian during the first round of the WTA 500 Monterrey Open, a tournament where she has twice claimed the title.
Seventh-seeded Fernandez shared her optimistic mindset on Instagram, stating, “I like to think every setback is just a setup for the comeback.” She dominated the first set in a swift 35 minutes, showcasing her precision.
In a tightly contested second set, both athletes held serve until Fernandez made a crucial break at 5-5, ultimately closing out the match 7-5, finishing in one hour and 33 minutes.
Fernandez, who previously triumphed at the Washington Open last month, now advances to the round of 16, where she will face the winner of the clash between Slovakia’s Rebecca Sramkova and Mexico’s Victoria Rodriguez.
As the match unfolded, Cristian became increasingly formidable, registering five aces alongside three double faults, while Fernandez notched three aces and one double fault of her own.
Fernandez demonstrated her serving prowess by winning 86% of her first serve points, compared to Cristian’s 76% success rate.
She converted two out of five break points and managed to win 24 receiving points, while Cristian struggled with 23 unforced errors, significantly overshadowing Fernandez’s count.
