Rising Star Leylah Annie Fernandez Captivates at the Omnium Banque Nationale de Montréal

Sports Tennis Omnium Banque Nationale de Montréal: Leylah Annie Fernandez steals the show!

By Mylène Richard | Wednesday, August 9, 2023

If the central court of the IGA Stadium had a roof, it would have surely exploded when Leylah Annie Fernandez emerged victorious after nearly three grueling hours of intense battle on Wednesday evening.

Home Victories for Leylah

Leylah Annie Fernandez seems to be enjoying winning at home, as she seized her second victory in Montreal and reached the third round for the first time in the Canadian tournament. In a surprising upset, she defeated the 11th seed, Beatriz Haddad Maia, with a score of 7-5, 5-7, and 6-3. The highly competitive daytime match lasted exactly 2 hours and 55 minutes, concluding under the floodlights.

“This is my favorite match,” exclaimed Fernandez to her supporters. As the runner-up at the US Open two years ago, she notably defeated Naomi Osaka, Angelique Kerber, Elina Svitolina, and Aryna Sabalenka. “It was a tough match [on Wednesday],” she emphasized to the journalists. “Last year, I played against Bia in the second round in Toronto and I lost. So, I was able to take revenge today, and it feels good. Also, it’s a privilege to be able to win at home in front of a full crowd.”

It has been a while since Leylah has achieved back-to-back wins, and it has been over a year since she defeated a player in the top 20. It’s no wonder she was smiling. “The key was patience, confidence, and hope,” Leylah explained. “There was a lot of positive, despite the ups and downs. Sometimes, you do the right things, but it doesn’t work out. Today [Wednesday], everything fell into place.”

Facing Danielle Collins

However, Leylah will need to quickly regain her focus, as the crowd favorite will be back on the center court at 7 p.m. on Thursday to face Danielle Collins, the 48th-ranked player in the world. Collins defeated Eugenie Bouchard in the qualifications, as well as Maria Sakkari, the eighth seed. “I have been watching her play for a long time. She made it to a Grand Slam final [in Australia in 2022]. She always bounces back, whether it’s after an injury or during a match. Just when you think she’s done, she comes back,” Fernandez analyzed in reference to the 29-year-old American, with whom she will have her first encounter.

Reminiscent of New York 2021

After adapting to the powerful and cross-court shots of Haddad Maia, Fernandez found her rhythm, encouraged by enthusiastic and warmed-up fans following the victories of Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina. She traded blows with the Brazilian player and showcased imaginative play, including a drop shot that made the spectators leap from their seats during the first set. The 20-year-old Quebec native did not look like a player ranked 81st in the world. In fact, she resembled the Leylah of 2021, the one who made it to the final of the US Open on her birthday.

Even after the never-ending seventh game, when Leylah had five chances to make it 5-2 but her rival fought back to level the score at 4-4, she did not get discouraged. Fernandez even responded by delivering a perfect service game. And the former 13th-ranked player in the WTA did not stop there, breaking her 27-year-old South American opponent with another game won to claim the first set.

Unwavering

Leylah remained unfazed, even when an employee accidentally started playing an audio advertisement just as she was about to serve. Or when she gave her team and the spectators a little scare by falling to the ground at 4-4 in the second set. Or when they had to wait for the lights to come on as darkness fell. Or when she couldn’t convert a match point and Haddad Maia took the opportunity to win the second set. Or when spectators shouted “out” while the ball was actually in play.

“It was tough when I lost that game with a match point and then the set,” Leylah explained. “But I quickly forgot about that and looked at the people in my box who told me to reset, believe in myself, and enjoy the moment, the crowd that is there to support me.”

Nothing could stop Leylah on Wednesday.