This is not the expected start to the season, nor the one hoped for for Leylah 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 powder blue of her new sponsor Lululemon, Fernandez faced an opponent she had the upper hand in their only two duels, which dated back to 2019. But you have to believe that this advantage, if you can call it that, n won’t have changed much.
Despite the huge gap of over 100 ranks in the world rankings between the two players – Fernandez is 23and while Inglis is 133and –, the match was clearly to the advantage of the Australian.
The 19-year-old Quebecer had problems with her serve from the start of the duel. At 3-3 in the first set, she double faulted twice, giving Inglis a first break that turned out to be a turning point in the match, since the latter seemed to gain confidence afterwards.
After the first round, 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 out of the game in the second set. At 2-0 for Inglis, she hadn’t scored any points yet, that’s to say.
PHOTO MICHAEL ERREY, AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE
Maddison Inglis
Hesitantly, she nevertheless continued to fight hard, delivering a few heavy and precise strikes. At one point, we even heard a frank “You can do it, go ahead” in the heights of the 1573 Arena in Melbourne.
However, it was a waste of time for Fernandez. She had in front of her a tenacious and not the least intimidated opponent, who closed the books after 1 h 23 min of play.
Leylah Fernandez won 67% of her first serves to 73% for Maddison Inglis, who saved all three break points she faced.
With both arms in the air and a big smile on her lips, the 24-year-old Australian let out a few cries, once victory was in her pocket. With good reason since it was his first career victory in a Grand Slam main draw.
Fernandez had a neutral expression as he left the field.
Bad start to the season
Fernandez’s journey to the Australian Open will therefore have been much shorter than everyone had expected. It is also the third year in a row that she has been defeated in the first round of this Grand Slam.
It was a third clash in 2022 for Fernandez. She had played two matches 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 Świątek 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 attracted all eyes by reaching the grand final, during which she lost to the young Briton Emma Raducanu.