Leylah Annie Fernandez could not solve Ashlyn Krueger for the second meeting in a row, falling to the American in the quarter-finals of the WTA 500 event in Abu Dhabi on Thursday in three sets. Krueger also knocked the Canadian out of the National Bank Open in Toronto last summer.
Inability to maintain leads cost Fernandez in the quarter-final clash, as she twice led by a break in both the sets she lost, only to be broken back immediately. Despite letting her own lead slip away in the second set, Krueger was able to find her range in the third set to claim a 7-5, 4-6, 6-2 win.
Big hitting from Krueger was able to break down the Canadian, as she struck 35 winners to Fernandez’s 29, although the American also had more errors, 33 to 25. Both women had a tricky time holding serve, facing double-digit break points. The Canadian was broken eight times in the match, while only managing to convert six of her chances.
Fernandez was on the front foot for much of the first set before it slipped away. She had a chance to break in the opening game of the match and then twice broke for the lead, but each time Kruger was able to respond and break back immediately.
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The American then made her move late, scoring her third break of the set as Fernandez served to stay in it at 5-6, stealing the opener.
Krueger carried that momentum into the second set, breaking in the Canadian’s first service game of the second set as she raced out to a 3-0 lead.
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With her back against the wall, Fernandez upped her game. Playing crisp, clean tennis, the Canadian won the next five games in a row, breaking twice as she turned the 0-3 deficit into a 5-3 lead. It was not entirely smooth sailing as Fernandez fell behind love-40 when she looked to consolidate the second break, but unlike the first set, she managed to avoid being broken back immediately, pulling out an impressive hold to maintain her lead.
It was Fernandez’s turn to carry the momentum into the next set as Krueger played a sloppy game to open the decider, double-faulting to go down love-40 and then firing a shot long to hand the Canadian an early break. However, the third set followed a similar trend as the first, with Fernandez failing to consolidate her breaks.
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The Lavalloise broke in each of her first two return games of the decider, only to be broken back right away. After Krueger held for a 3-2 lead, the Canadian double-faulted on break point to give the American a break lead. Krueger was in full swing while Fernandez could not find a way to hold. She was broken in every one of her service games in the deciding set as the American ran away with the win.
Fernandez is expected to play at the first WTA 1000 event of the season in Doha next week.
