Leylah Annie Fernandez discovered one other gear on Tuesday to attain her first win over former World No. 2 Paula Badosa on the WTA 1000 occasion in Doha, taking down the Spaniard in a three-set comeback.
Simply when it appeared Fernandez was heading for a fourth consecutive loss to Badosa after a nightmare first set, the Canadian was capable of flip the tide and made her alternatives rely within the second and third set to say a wild 0-6, 6-2, 6-3 win.
Whereas Badosa was robust when she landed her first serve, she solely put it in play 56 per cent of the time and Fernandez took benefit, profitable 59 per cent of her opponent’s second serve factors. The Canadian stored Badosa underneath fixed stress, creating 15 break level possibilities within the match, changing 4.
The primary set was nearer than the rating implies, however finally got here all the way down to who transformed their possibilities. Fernandez had appears to interrupt in two of Badosa’s three service video games however was unable to transform any of her six break factors.
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Actually, the Canadian truly had extra break level alternatives than her opponent within the first set. The distinction was that Badosa was ruthless when the door opened for her, utilizing her clear hitting to attract errors from Fernandez to transform all three of her break factors and seize a bagel.
The ratio of alternatives was related within the second set, seven break factors for the Canadian to 3 for the Spaniard, however this time Fernandez was capable of begin profitable the massive factors which allowed her to show the tide.
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After lacking two extra possibilities to interrupt within the second recreation, the Canadian lastly gained a break level to take a 3-1 lead. Then it was Badosa’s flip to begin making errors on the massive factors as she fired a forehand lengthy to present Fernandez a double-break at 5-1.
Whereas the previous world No. 2 did handle to interrupt Fernandez as she served for the set, there was no stopping the Canadian who laced a forehand winner down the road to make it three breaks of her personal within the second and to increase the match.
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Halfway by the third, Badosa made a push with a pair of break factors in each the fifth and seventh video games, however Fernandez stood her floor after which made the Spaniard pay for the missed alternatives, ripping a backhand winner down the road to transform her lone break level of the set, which set her as much as serve out the match, which she did to like, ending with an ace.
Fernandez’s attract Doha has been powerful and whereas she has impressed up to now, it won’t get any simpler as her subsequent opponent is fifth seed and up to date Australian Open runner-up Qinwen Zheng. The Canadian gained their lone earlier assembly again in 2022 on the hardcourts of Monterrey at this identical time of 12 months.
