Roland Garros | Leylah Fernandez heads into quarters

Leylah Fernandez has not finished surprising us. The 19-year-old Quebecer got her ticket to the Roland-Garros quarter-finals on Sunday. She beat American Amanda Anisimova in three sets 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.

Jean-Francois Teotonio
The Press

She thus reached the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam tournament for the second time in her career.

“It was a very, very complicated match, commented Fernandez in front of the microphone of Marion Bartoli on the ground, after the match. Amanda is a very good player. »

“And of course I’m happy to have been able to play in front of Thierry Henry! “, she added, the legend of French soccer installed in the stands of the Philippe-Chatrier court.

Leylah roars

Visibly ready, the Lavalloise had started her match like a lion. It was as if Anisimova still had her head in her cereal, even though it was already noon in Paris. The strikes of the Quebecer were precise, lively. She had even built a 4-0 lead in the first set.

Where the American could regain some of her pace was by taking advantage of her opponent’s shortcomings on serve. His first two games won were on a bit hesitant sequences from Fernandez in this regard. But too little, too late: the 19-year-old flew away with the first set at 6-3, on her fifth opportunity to conclude.

The pace of the match was reversed in the second set. Everything worked out for Amanda Anisimova. She had woken up, officially. At 5-2, with only one break in advance, we felt ready to think about the third and final commitment.

But Leylah Fernandez had not said her last word. She was winning her serve to make it 5-3. Then brilliantly broke Anisimova to pick up at 5-4. She could even feel the equalizer at 5-5 just in front of her… before Anisimova came to win with the break. The American won 6-4.

Anisimova is still riding on her momentum from the second set at the start of the third set. The match was then well contested. It all culminated in the sixth game of the set, just after a break from Fernandez. The two had good conversations. The Quebecer notably served superb forehands that thwarted her rival.

The frustration was felt, so much that the American threw her racket. We felt that the game was over at that moment. Leylah won the game and led 4-2. She would finally conclude her victory on another break of service, at 6-3.

In the quarter-finals, the 17^e seed will face Italy’s Martina Trevisan, 59^e in the world.

Leylah Fernandez is now the highest ranked in her half of the table.