This is not the expected start to the season, nor the one hoped for for Leylah Annie Fernandez. To everyone’s surprise, the young Quebecer admitted defeat in two sets of 6-4 and 6-2 in front of a tough Maddison Inglis, in the first round of the Australian Open. Better luck next time.
Posted yesterday at 11:25 p.m.
Dressed in the refreshing powder blue of her new sponsor Lululemon, Fernandez faced an opponent she had the upper hand in their only two duels, dating back to 2019. But you have to believe that this advantage, if you can call it that, won’t have changed much.
Despite the huge gap of more than 100 ranks in the world rankings between the two players – Fernandez is ranked 23and while Inglis is located at 133and level – the match was clearly to the advantage of the Australian.
At 3-3 in the first set, the 19-year-old Quebecer double faulted twice, giving Inglis a first break that turned out to be a turning point in the game, since the latter seemed to gain confidence afterwards.
After the first set, Fernandez already counted 5 double faults and 19 unforced errors, against 11 for his opponent. Seemingly taken aback by the turn of events, Canada’s 2021 Player of the Year was never in the game in the second set.
At 2-0 for Inglis, Fernandez had yet to score a point since the start of the set, that’s to say. Hesitantly, however, she continued to fight in fine fashion with some heavy and precise strikes, but she had in front of her a tenacious and not in the least intimidated opponent, who closed the books after 1 hour and 23 minutes of play.
With both arms in the air, Inglis let out a few cries once the victory was in his pocket. Fernandez had a neutral expression as he left the field.
PHOTO MICHAEL ERREY, AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE
Maddison Inglis
Bad start to the season
Leylah Annie Fernandez’s journey to the Australian Open will therefore have been much shorter than everyone had expected.
In recent weeks, she had played two games at the Adelaide tournament in early January. After a victory against Alexandrova Ekaterina, she lost in two sets of 6-1 and 6-2 against Poland’s Iga Swiatek in the round of 16.
She then made the decision to withdraw from the Sydney tournament. Between the branches, some have spoken of an injury, but nothing has been confirmed by the Fernandez clan.
It must be said that the young athlete must face additional pressure this season, after her impressive career at the United States Open last September. She then caught the eye of the entire tennis world by reaching the grand final, in which she lost to the young British Emma Raducanu.