By Erik Gudris | Sunday, September 5, 2021
18-year-old Leylah Fernandez outlasted 2016 US Open champion Angelique Kerber—and thrilled fans—to reach her first major quarterfinal.
Photo credit: Pete Staples/USTA/US Open
Eighteen-year-old Leylah Fernandez continued her spirited breakthrough run at this US Open.
In an all left-handed battle, the 73rd-ranked Canadian conquered 2016 US Open champion Angelique Kerber 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-2 to reach her first career major quarterfinal one day before her 19th birthday.
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At the end of the match, Kerber acknowledged the incredible effort from her younger opponent.
The feisty Fernandez entered her fourth-round meeting having already upset reigning US Open winner Naomi Osaka—after Osaka served for a straight-sets win.
The question was could Fernandez keep her momentum going in yet another high-level match?
For the 33-year-old Kerber, who had won 17 of her last 19 matches, the stakes were high considering her recent run to the Wimbledon semifinals and potentially making another deep run in New York.
Kerber, now ranked No. 17 in the world, appeared to have control of the match even though she trailed early on in the first time meeting. The 2016 US Open champion trailed 2-4 in the first set. But Fernandez threw in three double faults in the next game to let the three-time major winner back in the set.
Soon, Kerber closed out the set 6-4.
Kerber led in the second set 4-2 and appeared on the verge of victory. But Fernandez's forehand stared paying dividends when she most needed her weapon. Fernandez got back on serve and eventually held a set point. But it was Kerber in several testing rallies who fought to force a tiebreak.
Fernandez, with fiery groundstrokes, raced out to a 5-1 lead.
Spurred on by the vocal New York crowd, the Canadian soon closed out the second set despite missing out on two set points earlier in the tiebreak.
Kerber saved a break point in the third game of the final set. Yet the German was not successful later at 2-all when Fernandez clinched the first break of the set. With Kerber appearing to run out of steam, Fernandez took advantage.
"I think it was a tough one," Kerber said. "I mean, I, yeah, gave everything I had today. She played I think unbelievable match, especially in the third set, also in the second.
"Yeah, I think she played also one of her best matches in her career, and she had nothing to lose. She went out there, she played her tennis. She really is going for her winners, and, yeah, I think at the end it was just two, three points which decide the match. She took it in her hands."
Fernandez, leading 5-2, saved two more break points before closing out the match to the delight of the crowd.
Next up for Fernandez is No. 5 seed Elina Svitolina, who edged the Canadian 6-4, 7-5, in their lone prior meeting.
"Regarding Fernandez, played once in Monterrey. She was striking the ball already good there," Svitolina said. "It was a tough match for me. I think was 7-5, 7-5, something like that. I really saw in that time that she can play great tennis.
"Right now we can see that she improved. She started to believe more, I guess, in herself. Beating Naomi, it's a good sign that she's playing well."