Leylah Annie Fernandez kicked off her Wimbledon marketing campaign in sturdy style, defeating Italy’s Lucia Bronzetti 6-4, 6-3 to advance to the second spherical.
The 21-year-old Canadian struck 21 winners and broke serve 3 times to win the opening spherical conflict in 1 hour and half-hour.
It’s simply her second profession singles win on the All England Membership.
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Initially, it was the Italian who performed sturdy, attacking tennis within the early phases.
The 25-year-old, ranked #81 on the earth, started the primary set with a break of serve, dictating play to maneuver forward 2-0.
Nonetheless, the thirtieth seed was fast to reply, enjoying tightly to the baseline and hitting punishing returns to interrupt again and return the match to even phrases at 4-4.
A prolonged deuce recreation would see the Canadian acquire the higher hand, because the Italian hit a pair of errors to offer Fernandez the primary set, 6-4.
The second set opened on even phrases with each opponents trying to maintain factors quick by attacking within the early phases of rallies.
The previous 2021 US Open finalist was rewarded for her aggressive play at 3-2, as she struck a sequence of baseline winners to earn a pivotal break.
Whereas Bronzetti resisted a match level alternative to briefly keep within the contest and maintain for 3-5, it could do little to decelerate the Canadian. Fernandez closed the match out on her serve, securing a spot in spherical of 64.
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With the win, the previous US Open finalist has matched her profession greatest outcome at Wimbledon as she enjoys a breakthrough in kind on the floor.
The Canadian is now 7-2 on the grass courts in 2024, with a finals run at Eastbourne, and a visit to the quarterfinals of Birmingham.
She is going to face veteran Caroline Wozniacki within the second spherical.
Siniakova overwhelms Stakusic
In the meantime, Czechia’s Katerina Siniakova confirmed her class and expertise, defeating Canadian teenager Marina Stakusic 6-4, 6-2 in 1 hour and 47 minutes to advance to the second spherical.
The twenty seventh seed hit 34 winners and broke serve 4 occasions to beat the 19-year-old, who was making her Grand Slam fundamental draw debut on the All England Membership.
After buying and selling breaks to start the match, the opponents stayed degree till halfway via the opening set as Siniakova utilized vital strain on return at 3-all.
Following a double fault from Stakusic, the the two-time Wimbledon doubles champion broke for a 4-3 lead with a clear forehand winner.
She would stave off one break level probability for the Canadian earlier than holding serve to seal the opening set 6-4.
The 28-year-old continued her sturdy kind via the second, utilizing her exact groundstrokes to interrupt for an early 2-1 benefit.
The Canadian fought admirably to remain within the match, staving off six break level probabilities to safe a vital maintain for 2-3.
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With Stakusic serving down 2-4, the opponents squared off in an eleven-deuce recreation, earlier than the Czechian lastly changing on a fourth break level probability to achieve a 5-2 stranglehold.
She would shut out the match to like on serve to advance to the second spherical on the All England Membership for the third time in her profession.
Siniakova completed an ideal 12/12 on the internet and gained 72% of first serve factors within the victory.
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Regardless of the loss, Stakusic managed to save lots of 20 of 24 break factors confronted within the encounter.
The Canadian reached the primary draw of Wimbledon for the primary time, securing three wins in qualifying and now stands at 17-11 general in matches performed this season.
Siniakova advances to face Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan subsequent.
