Fernandez tops Zhang for first round win at US Open

Leylah Annie Fernandez breezed through the first round of the US Open with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Shuai Zhang on Sunday.

The 32nd-ranked Fernandez advances to the second round at a Grand Slam for the first time this year and will now await the winner of the Panna Udvardy and Mananchaya Sawangkaew match scheduled for Monday morning.

“I’m extremely pleased. She’s an extremely tough player so I knew I had to be focused from the get-go,” Fernandez said on court after the win.

The two played on serve through the first seven games of the match, with neither woman facing a break point as things moved along quickly in the opening set.

Fernandez finally jumped ahead late in the first when she earned a triple break point on Zhang. She would make no mistake, capitalizing on break point No. 2 to earn the first break of the match and would quickly consolidate to take the first 6-3. Fernandez breezed through with a strong service game in the first, as she won 88 per cent of her first serve points and did not face a break point throughout.

The Lavalloise broke the 37-year-old Zhang to open the second set as she tried to carry momentum from a strong first into the second. Fernandez ran into trouble for the first time as she tried to consolidate, as Zhang forced her first break point of the match, but the 23-year-old Canadian was able to save and earn the hold.

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Fernandez would find herself in trouble again on her next service game as Zhang forced triple break point with a chance to put the set back on serve. The Canadian would again show great resolve, fighting off a total of five break points in the game and punctuated a massive hold with a fantastic passing shot that sent the crowd in Flushing Meadows to their feet.

The crowd stayed behind the 2021 US Open finalist through the rest of the match as Fernandez would go on to break Zhang one more time en route to the victory.

“They do treat me like family. I have a deep connection with New York, and hopefully I get to do well in front of this crowd, and I hope to see you at my next matches,” said Fernandez. “With the crowd helping me, it was so much fun, and I enjoy every moment here.”

The Canadian is looking to string together a strong performance in Flushing Meadows and moved past the third round for the first time since reaching the final five years ago.

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Feature Photo: Jared Wickerham/Wick Photography