Leylah Annie Fernandez’s bid for a 3rd WTA 1000 quarter-final of 2024 got here up simply quick on Thursday because the Canadian was eradicated within the third spherical of the Wuhan Open by home-favourite Qinwen Zheng in three units.
The Canadian had crushed Zheng to achieve the final eight on the WTA 1000 occasion in Doha earlier this yr however, regardless of taking the primary set, couldn’t repeat the feat towards the world No. 7, dropping a 5-7, 6-3, 6-0 resolution.
Serve made the distinction within the match as Zheng received 74 per cent of her first-serve factors, a formidable 62 per cent of her seconds, and restricted Fernandez to only 4 break-point alternatives. The Canadian was beneath fixed strain in her personal video games, dealing with 13 break factors, of which she saved seven, and profitable a mere 37 per cent of second-serve factors.
Every lady had an opportunity to interrupt early earlier than Zheng made the primary transfer within the fifth recreation, scoring the primary break to maneuver forward 3-2. Fernandez was unfazed, nonetheless, responding with a break to like within the following recreation.
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The Canadian utilized strain late, holding a break level within the eighth recreation after which once more when Zheng was serving to ship the set to a tiebreak at 5-6. From 30-all, the Chinese language missed back-to-back forehands at hand the set to Fernandez.
Zheng saved a break level in her first service recreation of the second set and used the maintain to flip the momentum. Within the following recreation, she pushed the Canadian laborious on serve and on her third break level alternative, fired a forehand that simply caught the road to attain the break.
This time, the fifth seed didn’t let Fernandez get again into the set. She solely misplaced two factors on serve the remainder of the best way and added one other break within the ninth recreation courtesy of a beneficiant web twine to ship the match to a decider.
As soon as once more, Zheng broke early within the third set, this time claiming the Canadian’s first service recreation to right away go up 2-0. She continued to defend her serve nicely and was opportunistic when she had an opportunity to interrupt Fernandez. The house favorite transformed three of 4 break factors within the third set and misplaced simply two factors on her personal function she wrapped up the win with a 29-minute bagel.
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It was not all unhealthy information for Fernandez on Thursday as she is thru to the quarter-finals of the doubles with Aldila Sutjiadi after a dominant 6-1, 6-0 win over fifth seeds Elise Mertens and Shuai Zhang. Subsequent up might be second seeds Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Ellen Perez.
Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe are additionally by means of to the final eight of the doubles, the place they are going to play Anna Danilina and Irina Khromacheva.
