2023-08-10 00:04:01
If IGA Stadium’s center court had a roof, it would certainly have exploded when Leylah Annie Fernandez prevailed after nearly three long hours of a bitter battle on Wednesday night.
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Fernandez seems to like winning at home and she took the opportunity to sign her second victory in Montreal in life and reach the third round for the first time in the Canadian tournament.
All this while surprising the 11th seed, Beatriz Haddad Maia, 7-5, 5-7 and 6-3. The extremely tough meeting of the day session lasted exactly 2h 55min, concluding under the floodlights.
“It’s my favorite match,” the finalist two years ago at the United States Open told her supporters, where she notably dismissed Naomi Osaka, Angelique Kerber, Elina Svitolina and Aryna Sabalenka.
“It was a difficult game [mercredi], she said to reporters. Last year, I played against Béa in the second round in Toronto and I lost. So I was able to take my revenge and it feels good. Also, it’s a privilege to be able to win at home in front of a full crowd.”
It’s been a long time since Leylah had won two in a row and it had been over a year since she had defeated a top 20 girl. She was right to smile.
“The key has been patience, trust and hope,” Leylah said. There were a lot of positives, despite the ups and downs. Sometimes you do the right things, but it doesn’t work. Today [mercredi]everything fell into place.”
In front of Eugenie’s tomb
However, she will have to regain her concentration quickly, because the crowd favorite will return to the center from 7 p.m. on Thursday to face Danielle Collins, 48th in the world and who fell to Eugenie Bouchard in qualifying, as well as Maria Sakkari, eighth seed of series.
“I’ve been watching her play for a long time, she made a Grand Slam final [en Australie en 2022]. She always bounces back, after an injury or during a match. When you think she’s gone, she comes back, ”analyzed Fernandez about the 29-year-old American with whom she will have a first date.
Photo Agence QMI, JOEL LEMAY
New York Tunes 2021
After a bit of adaptation to the heavy and uncrossed strikes of Haddad Maia, Fernandez took his rhythm, encouraged by frenzied supporters and warmed up with the successes of Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina. She traded blow for blow with the Brazilian and demonstrated imaginative play, notably with a drop shot that had spectators jumping from their seats in the opening set.
The 20-year-old Quebecer did not look like a girl who ranks 81st in the world. In fact, she looked more like the Leylah of 2021, the one who fought her way to the final at the US Open on her birthday.
Even after the interminable seventh game, when Leylah had five chances to make it 5-2 and her rival rebounded to 4-4, she was undeterred. Fernandez even replied by performing a perfect service game.
And the former 13th racket in the WTA didn’t stop there, breaking the 27-year-old South American, with another shutout, to take the first set.
Photo Agence QMI, JOEL LEMAY
Unwavering
Leylah was unfazed, even when an employee mistakenly started an audio commercial as she was about to throw her ball.
Or when she scared her clan and the spectators by falling to the ground, with a score of 4-4 in the second set.
Or when you had to wait for the lights to come on at dusk.
Or when she couldn’t convert a match point and Haddad Maia jumped at the chance to save herself with the middle set.
Or when onlookers shouted “outwhen the ball was good.
“It was tough when I lost that game with match point and then the inning,” Leylah said. But I quickly forgot that and looked at the people in my box who told me to do a reset and to believe in it and to take advantage of the moment, of the crowd that is there to encourage me.”
No, nothing could stop Leylah on Wednesday.
Photo Agence QMI, JOEL LEMAY
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