Leylah Annie Fernandez is shifting her focus to the 12 months’s last Grand Slam after falling within the quarter-finals of the WTA 250 Tennis within the Land occasion in Cleveland, OH to Tatjana Maria on Thursday in straight units.
Regardless of a fast begin, the Canadian was by no means in a position to construct a lot momentum towards the German veteran and noticed her deepest run at a event since January come to an finish 6-3, 6-2.
It was simply Fernandez’s second tour-level quarter-final of the season, having reached the final eight in her first occasion of the 12 months in Auckland. The Canadian dropped simply two video games in three units towards Linda Noskova and Clara Tauson, who retired after the primary set, to succeed in the quarters in Cleveland.
Fernandez confronted fixed strain on her serve within the match, profitable simply 51 per cent of her first serve factors and 37 per cent of her seconds, dropping serve 5 instances within the match.
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The primary set was a back-and-forth affair with each ladies breaking serve a number of instances. It was Fernandez hanging first to take a 2-1 lead which she stretched to 3-1 earlier than Maria received three straight video games to go up a break at 4-2.
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Fernandez responded with a break to like, solely to instantly drop serve once more to path 5-3. Regardless of taking a 15-40 lead as Maria served for the set, the Canadian was unable to transform her alternatives and dropped the opening body.
Maria broke to begin the second set and this time stored her foot on the gasoline. The German by no means confronted a break level within the second, dropping simply three complete factors on function she added a second break earlier than serving out the victory to like.
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The Canadian heads into the US Open, the location of her 2021 breakthrough, with a 24-19 file on the season. Within the first spherical, she will face 22nd seed Ekaterina Alexandrova. They’ve cut up their earlier two conferences, each in 2022 on onerous courts, each in straight units.
Ought to she knock off the 22nd seed, Fernandez may face countrywoman Bianca Andreescu within the second spherical.
