(Paris) Canadian Leylah Annie Fernandez saw her journey at the Paris Olympic Games come to an end on Tuesday.
Germany’s Angelique Kerber won 6-4, 6-3 in their third-round match at Roland Garros. The three-time major champion needed an hour and 25 minutes to prevail.
Kerber announced she will hang up her racket at the end of the tournament. Fernandez was the 16th seede top seed in the women’s singles tournament.
The two players traded breaks of serve in the third and fourth games. Fernandez saved a break point in the next game, but Kerber got her revenge in the seventh. Fernandez then volleyed into the net to give Kerber the break that made the difference.
PHOTO MIGUEL MEDINA, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Angelique Kerber and Leylah Fernandez (R)
The 21-year-old from Laval was broken in the second set and lowered her shoulders as she returned to her chair. However, she responded to the German by breaking her again.
This time, the series of service breaks continued. Kerber destabilized the representative of the maple leaf by forcing her to run from one side of the court to the other for a 2-1 lead.
Two games later, Fernandez saved two break points before finally being broken for the third time in a row in the second set, giving Kerber a 4-1 cushion.
Fernandez erased one of those breaks, but quickly gave Kerber the lead back with another error.
Serving for the match at 5-2, Kerber kept Fernandez alive by being broken herself when she double-faulted.
It was almost natural that the match would end on 10e break of service of the match. Kerber finally closed the books when Fernandez committed an unforced error.
Later Tuesday, Quebecer Félix Auger-Aliassime is scheduled to play his second-round match against German Maximilian Marterer.