Leylah Annie Fernandez is not any stranger to high-pressure conditions.
One of many scrappiest fighters on the WTA circuit, the Canadian is thought for her never-say-die perspective, which was on full show as she performed the hero on Saturday on the Billie Jean King Cup.
An exhilarating comeback win in singles adopted by a clutch doubles victory with Gabriela Dabrowski clinched Canada’s spot in November’s Finals. It’s the second yr in a row that Fernandez did the heavy lifting for her nation in Vancouver.
For the Laval-native, having the burden of the nation on her shoulders didn’t have an effect on her mindset in any respect.
“I’m at all times able to play these matches. I at all times go on the market to win so it doesn’t matter the scenario,” defined Fernandez. “If it’s a useless rubber or if it’s a follow match, I wish to go on the market, I wish to get higher and I wish to win. And with that mindset, that has given me the chance to battle, given me the chance to get a successful probability in matches.”
Fernandez hesitated when requested if she performs her finest below stress, which prompted Dabrowski to quip “I assumed she was going to say no and was like what?” with amusing earlier than her teammate elaborated.
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Toughness, resilient, fighter, brave. These have been the phrases that Fernandez, Dabrowski and group captain Heidi El Tabakh used to explain Crew Canada this weekend.
“Oh did I see it! Each single match,” stated the captain of her group’s combating spirit. “I feel Gaby and Leylah each dealt with the stress of the doubles extraordinarily properly and I feel they performed among the finest tennis I’ve ever seen, among the finest doubles I’ve ever seen. So I’d say they dealt with it very, very properly.”
Total, competitions just like the Billie Jean King Cup present the chance for gamers, who’re often utterly alone on courtroom at common occasions, to make use of their teammates for inspiration. Whereas Fernandez is often calm below stress in her common WTA Tour matches, she admitted that when the chips have been down on Saturday, it helped having a veteran like Dabrowski on the market together with her.
“Gaby was so assured and that calmed my nerves. Simply tremendous joyful that she’s an awesome companion and he or she’s in a position to take management of the courtroom and that offers me confidence to play my recreation,” defined the previous US Open runner-up.
Learn additionally: Fernandez, Dabrowski ship Canada into Billie Jean King Cup Finals
Dabrowski confronted a clumsy scenario within the tie, watching the lead slip forwards and backwards, not realizing what sort of scenario she was going to stroll into when it was her flip to play, if she needed to play in any respect.
However the two-time main champion main champion stated the context didn’t matter when the time got here for her to play.
“I at all times simply have it in my thoughts that I’m able to play it doesn’t matter what and I’m able to play for all the burden to be on the match it doesn’t matter what. Even when it’s a useless rubber, I nonetheless wish to win and I nonetheless wish to play properly. I feel that basically helps as a result of all the weekend I used to be identical to ‘I’m prepared it doesn’t matter what, I’m prepared.’ So when it got here to two-all, I used to be like I’m prepared. I wasn’t pondering one factor or one other. I feel total, whenever you actually wish to play and also you wish to play to win, then that basically places you in an excellent mindset. So I feel that helped at this time.”
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Within the opening match of the day, Fernandez discovered herself in a scenario she is pretty aware of, down a set and a break within the second set.
“I misplaced my service recreation however I didn’t assume a lot of it, I knew I used to be in a position to come again,” stated Fernandez. “Within the first, I received down 3-0. I feel I lastly settled down within the recreation regardless that the rating wasn’t going my means. I simply felt like ‘OK issues are turning round’ after which within the second set, similar factor. I used to be simply attempting to get pleasure from myself.”
That final level, attempting to get pleasure from herself, was essential for Fernandez and was one thing a keen-eyed observer could have even seen.
“I instructed myself simply smile so I began smiling somewhat bit a pair instances and that undoubtedly helped me,” defined Fernandez. “As soon as I began smiling somewhat bit after which simply pondering of enjoying as if I used to be training as a result of I do get pleasure from myself after I’m training. I do some drop pictures and better balls and as soon as I began doing that every part was clicking and my thoughts was clear and I used to be in a position to determine issues out from there.”
That smile ended up being essential to her victory. “At the moment was extra of smiling and as a substitute of pondering of a gameplan and attempting to execute the gameplan. It was extra that mindset of smile, get pleasure from, be constructive and that helped.”
Now Fernandez is smiling all the best way to November’s Billie Jean King Cup Finals.
