Leylah Annie Fernandez isn’t any stranger to high-pressure conditions.
One of many scrappiest fighters on the WTA circuit, the Canadian is understood for her never-say-die perspective, which was on full show as she played the hero on Saturday on the Billie Jean King Cup.
A thrilling comeback win in singles followed by a clutch doubles victory with Gabriela Dabrowski clinched Canada’s spot in November’s Finals. It’s the second 12 months in a row that Fernandez did the heavy lifting for her nation in Vancouver.
For the Laval-native, having the load of the nation on her shoulders didn’t have an effect on her mindset in any respect.
“I’m all the time able to play these matches. I all the time go on the market to win so it doesn’t matter the scenario,” defined Fernandez. “If it’s a useless rubber or if it’s a follow match, I wish to go on the market, I wish to get higher and I wish to win. And with that mindset, that has given me the chance to struggle, given me the chance to get a profitable probability in matches.”
Fernandez hesitated when requested if she performs her finest beneath strain, which prompted Dabrowski to quip “I assumed she was going to say no and was like what?” with amusing earlier than her teammate elaborated.
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Toughness, resilient, fighter, brave. These had been the phrases that Fernandez, Dabrowski and crew captain Heidi El Tabakh used to explain Group Canada this weekend.
“Oh did I see it! Each single match,” stated the captain of her crew’s preventing spirit. “I feel Gaby and Leylah each dealt with the strain of the doubles extraordinarily nicely and I feel they performed among the finest tennis I’ve ever seen, among the finest doubles I’ve ever seen. So I might say they dealt with it very, very nicely.”
General, competitions just like the Billie Jean King Cup present the chance for gamers, who’re normally fully alone on court docket at common occasions, to make use of their teammates for inspiration. Whereas Fernandez is often calm beneath strain in her common WTA Tour matches, she admitted that when the chips had been down on Saturday, it helped having a veteran like Dabrowski on the market together with her.
“Gaby was so assured and that calmed my nerves. Simply tremendous pleased that she’s an important associate and she or he’s in a position to take management of the court docket and that provides me confidence to play my sport,” defined the previous US Open runner-up.
Learn additionally: Fernandez, Dabrowski send Canada into Billie Jean King Cup Finals
Dabrowski confronted an ungainly scenario within the tie, watching the lead slip backwards and forwards, not realizing what sort of scenario she was going to stroll into when it was her flip to play, if she needed to play in any respect.
However the two-time main champion main champion stated the context didn’t matter when the time got here for her to play.
“I all the time simply have it in my thoughts that I’m able to play it doesn’t matter what and I’m able to play for all the load to be on the match it doesn’t matter what. Even when it’s a useless rubber, I nonetheless wish to win and I nonetheless wish to play nicely. I feel that actually helps as a result of your complete weekend I used to be similar to ‘I’m prepared it doesn’t matter what, I’m prepared.’ So when it got here to two-all, I used to be like I’m prepared. I wasn’t pondering one factor or one other. I feel total, whenever you actually wish to play and also you wish to play to win, then that actually places you in a superb mindset. So I feel that helped as we speak.”
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Within the opening match of the day, Fernandez discovered herself in a scenario she is pretty acquainted with, down a set and a break within the second set.
“I misplaced my service sport however I didn’t assume a lot of it, I knew I used to be in a position to come again,” stated Fernandez. “Within the first, I acquired down 3-0. I feel I lastly settled down within the sport despite the fact that the rating wasn’t going my method. I simply felt like ‘OK issues are turning round’ after which within the second set, identical factor. I used to be simply attempting to take pleasure in myself.”
That final level, attempting to take pleasure in herself, was crucial for Fernandez and was one thing a keen-eyed observer might have even observed.
“I informed myself simply smile so I began smiling somewhat bit a pair instances and that undoubtedly helped me,” defined Fernandez. “As soon as I began smiling somewhat bit after which simply pondering of taking part in as if I used to be practising as a result of I do take pleasure in myself after I’m practising. I do some drop photographs and better balls and as soon as I began doing that every part was clicking and my thoughts was clear and I used to be in a position to determine issues out from there.”
That smile ended up being crucial to her victory. “Right now was extra of smiling and as a substitute of pondering of a gameplan and attempting to execute the gameplan. It was extra that mindset of smile, take pleasure in, be constructive and that helped.”
Now Fernandez is smiling all the best way to November’s Billie Jean King Cup Finals.
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