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Leylah Annie Fernandez introduced her nice doubles type from Toronto to Cincinnati as she’s going to play for a WTA 1000 title on Sunday after she and Yulia Putintseva defeated Linda Noskova and Diana Shnaider within the semifinals on Saturday in straight units.
The win got here mere hours after Fernandez almost accomplished an epic comeback within the singles quarter-finals, however in the end got here up simply quick in a third-set tiebreak towards Jessica Pegula.
Enjoying her second WTA 1000 doubles semifinal in a row, Fernandez was capable of preserve her foot on the gasoline as she and Putintseva by no means trailed. Whereas they’d some problem on the finish of each units, they have been capable of advance with a 6-3, 6-4 win.
Fernandez and Putintseva confronted strain of their opening service recreation however managed to hold on. They went to work on return not lengthy after, breaking for a 3-1 lead. Whereas the ultimate video games noticed a flurry of break factors, together with because the Canadian-Kazakhstani pair served for it at 5-3, that proved to be the one profitable break within the opening set.
In that ultimate recreation, Fernandez and Putintseva needed to save a pair of break factors, together with one on a deciding level at deuce which served as each a break and set level. They have been capable of win it to wrap up the opener.
Learn additionally: Fernandez, Dabrowski to Meet for Spot in Toronto Doubles Final
The pair then bought off to a dream begin within the second, breaking within the opening recreation and including a second break as they raced to a 5-1 lead.
Closing as soon as once more proved difficult within the second set. They have been damaged the primary time they tried to serve out the match at 5-2 after which did not convert their first match level on a deciding level that allowed Noskova and Shnaider again inside a recreation. However on the second time of asking, Fernandez and Putintseva had no hassle, holding to fifteen and changing their first match level on their very own serve.
Awaiting them in Sunday’s doubles ultimate is the third-seeded tandem of Erin Routliffe and Asia Muhammed. Will probably be a semi-rematch of last week’s National Bank Open doubles semifinal, the place Routliffe, enjoying with Canada’s Gabriela Dabrowski who handed on Cincinnati this week after a troublesome few weeks that included a bronze-medal run on the Olympics in Paris, beat Fernandez and her sister Bianca Jolie.
It’s the second WTA 1000 ultimate of Fernandez’s profession. She reached the Miami Open ultimate in 2023 with Taylor Townsend, dropping to Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula.
Singles Comeback Comes Up Simply Brief
Three comebacks from a set and a break down in a single match proved to be too many for Leylah Annie Fernandez on the Cincinnati Open. Regardless of pushing Jessica Pegula deep into the third set after the American had a number of massive leads, the Canadian couldn’t end the job, falling within the quarter-finals 7-5, 6-7(1), 7-6(3).
In the first and second rounds, Fernandez had gained regardless of being down a set and a break. The Canadian trailed the quarter-final conflict by a set and a double break at 7-5, 4-0 after which 3-0 within the third set. Every time, she fought again, however on the enterprise finish of the decider it was Pegula who managed to hold on for the win.
There was little between the 2 ladies within the three-hour battle. Every had 15 break factors, Pegula transformed seven whereas Fernandez managed six. The Canadian had 34 winners to Pegula’s 25 but additionally dedicated 48 unforced errors, two greater than her opponent. Ultimately, the American gained simply seven extra factors general.
4 video games handed within the opening set earlier than the drama began. From 2-2, there have been seven consecutive breaks of serve. Thrice, Pegula broke the Canadian to take the lead, just for Fernandez to right away reply to stage the set.
Learn additionally: Auger-Aliassime Drops Second Friday Match to Draper in Cincinnati
Pegula broke for a fourth time for a 6-5 lead, her second likelihood to serve out the set, and this time she ended the run of breaks by holding to like to wrap up the opening set.
Not like the back-and-forth that was the primary set, the second was all about runs of momentum. Pegula stored up her nice returning to begin, breaking in Fernandez’s first two service video games to take a 4-0 lead.
The Canadian managed to carry within the fifth recreation, ending a run of six consecutive breaks of her serve. She then turned the tables on Pegula, breaking twice throughout a five-game run to flip the set from 0-4 to 5-4.
Learn additionally: Fernandez Saves Match Points to Shock Rybakina
Fernandez had set factors on the American’s function Pegula served to remain in it at each 4-5 and 5-6 however couldn’t convert. Nonetheless, the Canadian dominated the tiebreak, dropping only a single level to power a deciding set.
As soon as once more, Pegula put herself in a robust place when a Fernandez forehand error handed her an early break because the American took a 3-0 lead within the decider. However Fernandez was by no means going to go away quietly, responding with three straight video games of her personal to stage at 3-3.
The 2 matched one another maintain for maintain because the third went alongside however Pegula had an opportunity to shut out the match on Fernandez’s serve at 6-5, getting a take a look at three match factors. The Canadian was nonetheless refusing to again down, saving two with massive photographs and Pegula missed one with a forehand error because the match went to a tiebreak.
Learn additionally: Fernandez Solves Shnaider to Reach Cincinnati Quarters
Lastly, Pegula was capable of construct a lead that Fernandez couldn’t overcome. A minibreak courtesy of a backhand into the online by the Canadian gave the Toronto champion a lead she stretched to 4-1. Fernandez would by no means get again inside a degree because the American completed off the match on her fifth match level.
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