Playing in Doha certainly brings out the best in Leylah Annie Fernandez.
One year removed from three impressive victories over Liudmila Samsonova, Paula Badosa, and Qinwen Zheng to reach the quarter-finals at the WTA 1000 tournament, the Canadian is back into Round of 16 thanks to a dominant 6-2, 6-2 victory over world no. 9 Emma Navarro of the United States on Monday morning.
Fernandez dictated play against the reigning U.S. Open semi-finalist and never relinquished her grasp on the match. She won 80 percent of her first serve points and converted five of her seven break point opportunities on return. A definite recipe for success to secure her third triumph in four tries over Navarro.
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This is fourth Top 10 win for Canada on the ATP and WTA Tours in the past week after Denis Shapovalov posted three such victories during his impressive run to the title at the Dallas Open. This is Fernandez’s first Top 10 win since she beat then world no. 4 Elena Rybakina at the Cincinnati Open in 2024.
Fernandez is also in the Doha doubles draw alongside Nadiia Kichenok. The pair will open against the eighth-seeded team of Asia Muhammad and Demi Schuurs.
