Tennis
Leylah Fernandez advances to quarter-finals at Monterrey Open with 3-set victory
19-year-old Canadian defeats China’s Zheng Qinwen on quest to repeat as champion
CBC Sports · Posted: Mar 03, 2022 1:20 AM ET | Last Updated: March 3
Canada’s Leylah Fernandez claimed a 6-1, 4-6, 7-6 (3) win over China’s Qinwen Zheng in the second round of the Monterrey Open on Wednesday in Mexico. (Elsa/Getty Images)
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Canada’s Leylah Fernandez punched her ticket to the quarter-finals of the Monterrey Open by defeating China’s Zheng Qinwen 6-1, 4-6, 7-6 (3) in a thriller under the lights on Wednesday night.
Currently ranked 21st in the WTA world rankings, the 19-year-old from Laval, Que., is looking to repeat as champion at the Mexican WTA tour event.
After swiftly making her way through the first set, Fernandez struggled in the second. She gave up breakpoints, leading to a third set that she ultimately won in a tiebreaker.
Fernandez finished with a 65 per cent to 47 per cent edge in first serves put in play, and she saved five of the six break points she faced. Neither player managed a service break in the third set.
WATCH | Leylah Fernandez wins 3-set thriller against Zheng Qinwen:
Defending champion Fernandez advances to Monterrey Open quarter-finals
2 days ago
Duration3:56
Leylah Annie Fernandez of Laval, Que. defeats Zheng Qinwen 6-1, 4-6, 7-6 (3) in the round of 16 at Monterrey Open. 3:56
With her win, the second-seeded Fernandez moves on to play unseeded Wang Qiang of China on Friday.
PLAYER’S OWN VOICEWhere Leylah Fernandez, my daughter, gets her fierceness
The Monterrey Open is the first singles tournament for Fernandez since bowing out of the Australian Open earlier this season. She is aiming to regain the form she showed last season with her first career WTA title and remarkable run to the U.S. Open final.
Also advancing to the quarter-finals were fourth-seeded Sara Sorribes Tormo of Spain, fifth-seeded Camila Osorio of Colombia and Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia, all straight-set winners.
Serena Williams arrived at Roland Garros with a zebra-striped outfit, but Rafael Nadal’s “ugly” shirt also got a lot of people talking.
After wearing a black catsuit at the 2018 French Open that got the tongues wagging so much so that the French tennis bosses all but banned catsuits, Williams opted for something different this year.
Here it is if you haven’t seen it yet.
Some people liked it.
Some didn’t like it.
It demonstrates, once again, that Serena has absolutely NO TASTE in tennis outfits. Someone needs to tell her it didn't speak Mother or Queen. It screamed TASTELESS!!!
— M J Drage (@Mjdrage53) May 28, 2019
But before Williams stepped onto the court, defending champion Nadal was in action and people were talking.
Can you even see the ball with that yellow shirt behind it?
Thoughts, please…
Legal or not?
#HumanHighlighter.
Again, unfair or not?
Nadal’s shirt SHOULD be banned, that’s an unfair advantage. I applaud him for wearing that ugly color in the Desire for an advantage but it shouldn’t be allowed to happen
— Edward Heppner (@E_heppner31) May 27, 2019
He’s clearly a Leeds United fan.
This guy, though, makes a fair point about Wimbledon, but then again that was back in the day.
Some didn’t like it.
Nadañ called Lorenzo Sonego to the net to complain
Rafael Nadal became the seventh player aged 36 or older to reach the quarter-finals of Wimbledon.
However, during the game, Nadal called Lorenzo Sonego to the net.
The Spaniard tennis player pressured the Italian to agree to close the roof, and complain about Sonego’s extensive screaming.
In the middle of the third set, Nadal told Sonego to stop faking his scream while the Spaniard volleyed.
During the press conference, Rafa Nadal said he made a mistake.
“I think I was wrong,” Rafa mentioned.
“I spoke to him in total calmness. I exposed the situation that was happening. If I needed to go back, I wouldn’t do it again,” Nadal continued.
“I told the referee before. The referee, who is one of the bests, was waiting until the change of service to tell him something.”
“Were are among colleagues, we see each other every week. There are codes inside a tennis court that must be respected. I believe I was wrong for calling him to the net and telling him the things.”
“I should’ve told him when we switched (serves) or wait until the referee told him,” Nada said.
Rafa making history:
Rafa Nadal is the seventh player aged 36 or older to reach the quarter-finals of Wimbledon.
Despite the difference in the scoreboard, there was an argument on the court.
Nadal said Sonego extended his screaming on purpose to discomfort Nadal’s game.
Sonego shouted after hitting the ball.
Rafa, at 36 years and 29 days old, has stopped time, especially since he seems to have found an antidote for his injured left foot.
Nadal will rest to prepare for his clash against Botic van de Zandschulp scheduled for Monday.
The mother of World No. 1 Novak Djokovic says watching her son at the Wimbledon singles final last year was the most difficult time she has had while watching her son play in his career. Djokovic came back from match points down to defeat Roger Federer in a classic five setter to win the Wimbledon title in July even as the whole stadium seemed to cheer for the Swiss legend.
Dijana was speaking in an interview with the Serbian portal “Blic Sport” on the program, “Mothers of Champions” “I saw a lot of his matches, but Wimbledon was the most difficult last year. In a stadium where everyone was cheering on Roger Federer, we were just a handful of fans for Novak.
When Federer had two match points, I reached for my cross from the Don river. I am a believer, I wear the amulet all the time, it often saved me in difficult moments. I said to myself, ‘Nole, you can do it, you’ve done it twice, you can do it again.’
He did it. He was saved by God. Novak also believes in God, he feels chosen. He carries a cross that brings him peace and happiness. It is from the Greek monastery Hilandar. He says his prayers morning and evening,” The mother of the 17-time Grand Slam champion also recalled another painful defeat – at the Rio Olympics in 2016, where he lost to World No.
1 Juan Martin del Potro in the first round. “The defeat at the Olympics in Rio still breaks my heart. Novak is a happy child and has no problem crying. But the tears at that time were the biggest I have ever seen with him.
He had all the prerequisites to win gold. The wish was not granted to him. He had this elbow problem and couldn’t stand the pressure. He felt that he had disappointed the people in Serbia. We were both very emotional. Maybe he got that from me – sometimes I curse quite a lot.”
Dijana also gave some insight about some of the early health problems that Novak suffered during his career. “At the beginning of his career, Novak had many health problems. Because he had to give up a few matches, he was often attacked by the public or by tennis experts.
He had a curvature of the nose wall, it was difficult for him to breathe. After an operation, things went better. In 2010 he was found to be intolerant to gluten. It made life difficult for him. He had to give up in Australia because of the heat.
Then his bleeding toe in Paris in 2007: after playing for five consecutive days, he gave up the semi-final against Nadal. Then everyone accused him, including John McEnroe! I had bandaged his foot the night before the duel. In the morning he could barely walk in slippers.
I advised him not to go to the court, he absolutely wanted to get an injection. Then he beat Nadal 6-2 in the first set. Novak took a medical timeout between sets to bandage the wounds. When Nadal saw the blood, he knew what was going on and then chased him into every corner until Novak had to give up.”
Novak Djokovic admits he is a convert to Wimbledon’s new middle Sunday play rule as the three-time defending champion aims at reaching the quarter-finals for the 13th time.
Top seed Djokovic, seeking to move level with Pete Sampras as a seven-time champion at the All England Club, faces Dutch wild card Tim van Rijthoven, the world number 104.
His last-16 tie will be the highlight of a landmark day that sees play scheduled at the tournament for the first time on the middle Sunday.
It has traditionally been a rest day with the exception of 1991, 1997, 2004, and 2016 when rain in the opening week forced a quick planning reset.
One of the special guests on Centre Court, which marks its 100th anniversary this year, will be Roger Federer.
The eight-time champion sat out the championship to recover from knee surgery.
“All the other Grand Slams are playing on mid-Sunday. I’m glad that Wimbledon has introduced that. I’m in favour of the rule change,” said Djokovic.
The 35-year-old dropped a set in his opening win over Kwon Soon-woo but has since coasted, losing just 14 games in the next two rounds.
– ‘Dream’ to face Djokovic –
Van Rijthoven has ranked outside the top 200 just a month ago.
Having won his first ATP title on grass at ‘s-Hertogenbosch, the Dutchman is making the most of his Wimbledon wild card.
He has dropped serve just three times and has defeated seeded players Reilly Opelka and Nikoloz Basilashvili to make the fourth round.
Plagued by physical problems since he was 18, Van Rijthoven has endured groin and wrist injuries as well as back spasms in his career.
“Before the tournament started, it was a dream for me to play Djokovic,” said Van Rijthoven.
Victory for Djokovic will set up a mouthwatering quarter-final against Carlos Alcaraz if the 19-year-old Spaniard sees off Italy’s Jannik Sinner.
The swashbuckling Alcaraz is bidding to reach his third Slam quarter-final but first at Wimbledon.
Sinner is also seeking a first quarter-final at the tournament having fallen in the first round on his main draw debut last year.
Frances Tiafoe and Tommy Paul will set up an all-American quarter-final if they overcome Belgium’s David Goffin and British ninth seed Cameron Norrie respectively.
Rafael Nadal remains Djokovic’s biggest barrier to a fourth successive title after making the last 16 on Saturday.
But mercurial Australian Nick Kyrgios cannot be ruled out after he defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas in a bad-tempered clash.
Tsitsipas branded Kyrgios “a bully” with an “evil side” after a fiery third-round duel which saw both men warned for their behaviour.
“It’s constant bullying, that’s what he does,” the Greek fourth seed said.
“He bullies opponents. He was probably a bully at school himself. I don’t like bullies.”
Kyrgios branded the Greek as “soft”.
– ‘Don’t know I got here –
The world number one Iga Swiatek was knocked out Saturday, and the bottom half of the women’s draw is also wide open with world number two Ons Jabeur the only top 10 player remaining.
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She tackles Belgian 24th seed Elise Mertens who defeated 2018 champion, Angelique Kerber, in the last 32 having saved two match points to beat Panna Udvardy in the second round.
The Tunisian has only dropped 13 games in three rounds, spending just three hours and six minutes on court.
Mertens needed three hours and 15 minutes just to see off Udvardy in the tournament’s longest women’s match so far.
Should Jabeur make the quarter-finals for a second successive year, she will play Marie Bouzkova.
The world number 66 from the Czech Republic reached her first Grand Slam quarter-final when she breezed past Caroline Garcia of France 7-5, 6-2.
The big-serving Garcia’s challenge was undermined by 25 unforced errors to her opponent’s four.
“I don’t know how I got here,” said 23-year-old Bouzkova who had never previously progressed beyond the second round at a major.
Mother of two Tatjana Maria takes on former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko while Britain’s Heather Watson faces Germany’s Jule Niemeier.
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