Leylah Fernandez secured her first win over a top 10 foe in more than a year with a resounding 6-1, 6-4 defeat of Russia’s Mirra Andreeva on Friday in front of a friendly home crowd at the National Bank Open in Toronto.
Fernandez, the No. 30 seed who hails from Laval, Quebec, needed just 81 minutes to dispatch the reigning French Open champion. She won nine straight games to close the first set and open a 4-0 second-set lead. Andreeva, who stands No. 5 in the WTA rankings, won three straight games to trim the gap to 5-4 before Fernandez served out the match in just five points.
The Canadian converted four of five break-point chances while facing just one on her own serve. Fernandez won 24 of 27 first-serve points (88.9%).
“I’ve put in the work,” Fernandez said. “I know physically I am strong. I know I can endure long rallies and long matches. So if it’s going to take 100 balls to hit, to put it in, to break her down, then so be it.”
Fernandez will again have her hands full in the fourth round. She’ll face No. 11 seed Naomi Osaka of Japan, who breezed past No. 20 Belgian Elise Mertens 6-1, 6-2 while winning 72.9% of her service points and saving all three break points she faced.
Osaka acknowledged that Fernandez will present a tricky challenge.
“I think it’s tough because she’s lefty,” Osaka said. “Obviously there aren’t many lefties on tour, so it takes me awhile to get used to that. She has a really good attitude. I’ve never seen her down. She always keeps fighting. I really appreciate that about her.”
Unseeded 19-year-old Russian Alina Korneeva knocked off her second straight seeded American opponent with a 6-3, 6-4 defeat of 18-year-old Iva Jovic, the No. 13 seed. She’ll get a chance to make it three in a row as she faces No. 4 seed Coco Gauff for a spot in the quarterfinals.
Gauff eased past Greece’s Maria Sakkari in 76 minutes with a 6-1, 6-4 victory. Gauff posted all five of the match’s aces as she won 62.1% of her first-serve points (36 of 58) against the No. 29 seed.
No. 2 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan advanced into the fourth round behind a 6-2, 7-5 defeat of No. 28 Ann Li. She’ll take on Russia’s Liudmila Samsonova, who outlasted Australia’s Maya Joint for a 7-5, 6-7 (3), 6-2 victory, which took two hours and 52 minutes to complete.
In other night action, No. 12 Belinda Bencic of Switzerland edged Taylor Townsend 6-7 (5), 7-6 (4), 6-4. No. 25 Alexandra Eala of the Philippines, who won her first WTA title in Washington on Monday, outlasted Caty McNally 6-3, 5-7, 6-4.
–Field Level Media
