Leylah Fernandez, from Laval, Quebec, has concluded her title defence at the D.C. Open. The Canadian player was defeated in the second round by Alexandra Eala of the Philippines. This loss marks the end of Fernandez’s run in the tournament, where she was the defending champion from the previous year’s WTA 500 event.
The match, which lasted one hour and 53 minutes, saw Eala secure a victory with a score of 6-2, 7-6 (1). Eala demonstrated strong play, converting four out of nine break points. She also won 63.3 per cent of the points on Fernandez’s second serve, contributing to her win.
This defeat follows a challenging season for Fernandez in singles play, bringing her record to 13-20. The 23-year-old, who was the seventh seed in the tournament, faced an opponent who has recently shown a knack for overcoming defending champions.
Eala’s victory over Fernandez is her second consecutive win against a reigning tournament champion. Four weeks prior, she had upset Iga Swiatek in the third round of Wimbledon. This recent performance against Fernandez further highlights Eala’s emerging presence in the sport.
The encounter between Fernandez and Eala was a rematch from an earlier part of the season. Their previous meeting was in April at the Stuttgart first round on clay, where Eala had lost 6-1, 6-4 to Fernandez. However, on the hard courts of the D.C. Open, Eala’s game proved more effective, capitalizing on what was described as an inconsistent performance from Fernandez.
The first set of the match was marked by errors from Fernandez, who recorded 14 unforced errors across eight games. She double-faulted to drop her serve early in the set, making the score 2-0. Her forehand also faltered, with three errors from that wing occurring in the final game of the set. Eala, in contrast, needed only two clean winners to take the opening set.
A pivotal moment for Fernandez came in the second game of the second set, which was an extended six-deuce battle. During this game, Fernandez showed a mix of hitting her targets and committing further errors. After successfully saving one break point, she eventually converted her sixth game point with a backhand winner. This shot appeared to ignite a period of improved play from the Canadian.
Following this turning point, Fernandez managed to win five consecutive games. Her rally tolerance, accuracy with her forehand, and touch at the net all improved significantly. She advanced to a 5-1 lead in the second set, appearing poised to force a decisive third set.
However, Fernandez was unable to secure the set. A 15-30 opportunity on Eala’s serve at 5-1 was not converted, as her groundstrokes once again became inconsistent. A series of unforced errors followed, preventing her from serving out the set at 5-2.
Sensing an opening, Eala intensified her play. She won a crucial defensive rally to break back for 5-5, punishing Fernandez’s hesitation to take the ball out of the air with a forehand winner. Eala then dominated the subsequent tiebreak.
Fernandez’s errors continued into the tiebreak, with the former US Open finalist accumulating a total of 42 unforced errors throughout the match. Eala, however, took control to close out the match, winning the final two points with consecutive forehand winners after engaging in all-court exchanges.
Eala reflected on her second-set comeback, noting that her level might have dropped slightly while Fernandez was playing better. She emphasized the importance of patience and a strong mentality to find solutions during such tricky moments in a match.
In addition to her singles exit, Fernandez and her doubles partner, Anna Danilina of Kazakhstan, were also eliminated from the women’s doubles tournament. They lost in the first round on Tuesday to China’s Tang Qianhui and Xu Yifan.
Fernandez, currently ranked world No. 34, is now scheduled to compete in the National Bank Open in Toronto. Singles main-draw play for that tournament is set to begin on Sunday. Fernandez and her sister, Bianca, have also received a wild card entry for the women’s doubles tournament at Sobeys Stadium.
Source: sportsnet.ca
