In a thrilling quarterfinal match at the Abu Dhabi Open, Canada’s Leylah Fernandez was edged out by the American rising star, Ashlyn Krueger, with a score of 7-5, 4-6, 6-2 on Thursday.
Fernandez, who entered the tournament as the eighth seed, struggled with her serve, registering just one ace while unfortunately committing seven double faults throughout the intense two-hour and twenty-four-minute contest.
On the other side of the net, the unseeded Krueger showcased her powerful serve, unleashing eight aces—five of which came in the first set alone. Krueger successfully capitalized on 62.7% of her first serve points, outperforming Fernandez’s 55.5%.
This match marked the third encounter between the two talented players. Fernandez, hailing from Laval, Quebec, had previously triumphed over Krueger at the Eastbourne International last year, but Krueger secured her revenge at the National Bank Open in Toronto.
Krueger is now set to compete against the winner of the quarterfinal showdown between Poland’s Magda Linette and Czechia’s Linda Noskova.
