(Wimbledon) Quebec’s Leylah Fernandez defeated Ukraine’s Kateryna Baindl in three sets 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 on Monday to earn her bye to the second round of the Wimbledon Open tennis tournament.
For Fernandez, who is only 20, it is her first career win in the women’s singles main draw at Wimbledon. In her only other appearance at the All England Club as a pro, in 2021, she was eliminated in the opening round.
Fernandez earned the win despite a mediocre performance on his serve, especially over the first two sets. Before starting the third set, the athlete from Laval had scored two aces and committed seven double faults.
Fernandez was more efficient in the third set, scoring five aces against three double faults. Above all, she posted a success rate of 71% of her first balls during the decisive set.
Yet despite these more favorable statistics, Fernandez, ranked 95e in the world, had to come from behind to overthrow her rival, holder of 85e rank, in the third round.
Victim of a break in the first and fifth games of the set, Fernandez reacted by delighting the serve of her rival in the sixth game, then again in the 10e game, which allowed him to confirm his victory.
In the next round, Fernandez will face a tough test as she takes on Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia. Ranked fifth in the world, Garcia beat American Katie Volynets 6-4, 6-3.
On the men’s side, Félix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov play their first match of the tournament on Monday, one after the other on court number 12.
Auger-Aliassime, 11e seeded, faces American Michael Mmoh, ranked 119eand the 22-year-old Montrealer will need five sets to advance to the second round.
Auger-Aliassime indeed lost two of the first three sets – the first and the third – each time in a tiebreaker. The second set also required a decisive break which Auger-Aliassime won.
For his part, Shapovalov will cross swords with Radu Albot, from Moldova, holder of the 107e rank.
