Leylah Fernandez kicked off her campaign at the Australian Open in style, triumphing over Ukrainian Yuliia Starodubtseva with a score of 7-5, 6-4 to advance to the second round at the iconic Melbourne Park.
The world’s 31st-ranked player faced a brief rain delay that postponed the opening day’s matches into the dusky evening.
“I’m definitely one for setting goals, and so is my family. We always outline our objectives at the start of each year. My primary aim is to remain healthy throughout the year, as that is crucial,” Fernandez stated after her victory. “As for results, making it to the top ten by year’s end is a key goal, along with consistently reaching the second week in Grand Slams and WTA 1000 events.”
Next up for Fernandez is a clash with the winner of the showdown between Spain’s Cristina Bucsa and French wildcard Chloe Paquet.