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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Shapovalov moves on with win over Kecmanovic
Denis Shapovalov made it two-for-two for Canadians on Sunday as he defeated Miomir Kecmanovic 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 to advance to the second round of the US Open.
The early rounds at Flushing Meadows continue to be a friendly environment for Shapovalov, who improved to 8-1 in first-round matches at the US Open.
Shapovalov’s power and aggressiveness were too much for Kecmanovic to handle as the Canadian uncorked a whopping 64 winners en route to the four-set victory. Shapovalov is now 6-0 on tour against the Serb, with all wins coming on hard court.
He will now move on to battle Luca Van Assche in the second round.
Shapovalov overcame adversity early in Sunday’s match as Kecmanovic forced a break point in the first game but was unable to take advantage. The Canadian would respond with a successful break in the next game to take an early 2-0 lead.
The quick set would continue on serve until Kecmanovic broke the 47th-ranked Shapovalov as he was serving for the set up 5-3. Shapovalov would bounce right back and break his 64th-ranked opponent right back to finish off the first in 37 minutes. Shapovalov drilled four aces in the first set but also committed four double faults. He also hit 16 winners to Kecmanovic’s seven.
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Shapovalov was the first to blink in an even second set, and his aggressiveness on serve caught up to him as Kecmanovic earned the only break of the set to go up 5-4. He would successfully consolidate to take the second and even up the match. Through two sets, the 27-year-old Shapovalov hit eight aces but also committed nine double faults. He also continued to have trouble with unforced errors, committing 21 through two sets to just eight for Kecmanovic.
Shapovalov’s service issues resurfaced at the start of the third, as he committed another double fault, handing the Serbian a second straight break to open the set. Kecmanovic would successfully consolidate to win his fifth-straight game.
The Canadian continued to chase the set, searching for the elusive break to get things back on serve. After failing to convert on a double-break point on Kecmanovic’s second service game of the set, Shapovalov would not miss for the rest of the set, breaking the 27-year-old Serb twice in a row - as part of a run of four-straight games - to steal the third set 6-4.
Shapovalov began the fourth set with an easy hold, followed by his third-straight break as he continued to inch closer to the second round. Kecmanovic finally stopped the bleeding with a hold at love - ending the Canadian’s seven-game streak - to give himself life down 3-1.
He would get no closer as Shapovalov would break Kecmanovic for the second time in the set, and sixth overall, before finishing the match with another strong service game.
Feature Photo: Jared Wickerham/Wick Photography
