Leylah Annie Fernandez was unable to resolve the riddle that’s Ons Jabeur on Friday at Roland-Garros, falling to the world No. 9 in straight units.
The Tunisian defeated Fernandez earlier within the clay season in Madrid and had all of the solutions as soon as once more in Paris, taking all the pieces the Canadian threw at her in a 6-4, 7-6(5) win. Jabeur now leads their head-to-head 4-0. It was the primary assembly between the pair that didn’t go three units.
There was little between the 2 ladies within the nearly-two-hour battle. Jabeur completed with two extra winners, 26 to 24, they usually each had 27 unforced errors. The eighth seed managed to use a bit extra stress on return, successful 55 per cent of the Canadian’s second serve factors and changing three of seven break level probabilities.
The cat and mouse recreation began shortly when Fernandez arrange a break level within the fourth recreation with a volley winner, however Jabeur saved it with an ace. Within the following recreation, the Canadian pulled off an escape of her personal when Jabeur netted back-to-back forehands from double break level up after which the Lavaloise hit a volley winner at 40-AD to avoid wasting a 3rd break level, ultimately holding.
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At 3-3, Fernandez gave Jabeur a free break when she double-faulted down break level. However Jabeur returned the favour within the following recreation, committing three straight unforced errors from recreation level as much as put the set again on serve.
Nevertheless, the Canadian couldn’t profiting from the reprieve. Jabeur got here out swinging within the subsequent recreation, powering to a love-40 benefit the place Fernandez netted a volley to fall behind 5-4, the place the Tunisian served out the opening set.
Each time Fernandez appeared to make progress, Jabeur was in a position to cling in. The Canadian took benefit of some errors from the Tunisian to interrupt for a 3-1 lead within the second set, solely to play an error-filled recreation of her personal to place the set again on serve.
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Fernandez stored having probabilities to increase the match however couldn’t take benefit. She had a set level at 5-4 on Jabeur’s serve however sliced a backhand lengthy. Then within the tiebreak, she took a minibreak lead 4-3 when the Tunisian missed a forehand, however Jabeur responded with a spectacular forehand winner down the road to instantly get it again.
On Fernandez’s serve at 5-6, Jabeur received her working and ultimately punched a forehand into the open court docket to carry an finish to the Canadian’s run.
Each Félix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov shall be in motion on Friday. Bianca Andreescu will play her third-round match on Saturday.
