WASHINGTON — Leylah Fernandez of Canada kicked off her title defense with a stellar first-round triumph at the D.C. Open on Monday.
The seventh seed took down Poland’s Magda Linette with a convincing score of 6-1, 6-4, wrapping up the match in just 79 minutes.
At 23 and hailing from Laval, Quebec, Fernandez clinched the title at this WTA 500 hard-court event last year, marking the pinnacle of her career thus far.
Currently positioned 34th in the global rankings, Fernandez has faced challenges in maintaining her form this season, recording a 13-19 singles win-loss ratio.
During her match, she delivered two aces and transformed five out of nine break-point chances. In contrast, Linette was able to convert only one of her three break points.
Next up, Fernandez will take on the winner of the contest between Alexandra Eala from the Philippines and Zheng Qinwen in the round of 16.
