Fernandez Denied First WTA 1000 Title in Cincinnati Doubles Final

Photo : @CincyTennis

A great week at the Cincinnati Open for Leylah Annie Fernandez ended with a runner-up trophy as she and Yulia Putintseva were edged out in the women’s doubles final by third seeds Erin Routliffe and Asia Muhammad in a match tiebreak.

It has been a great summer in doubles for Fernandez as she reached at least the semifinals in both WTA 1000 events. But Routliffe has been a thorn in her side, beating Fernandez and her sister in the Toronto semifinals last week and then denying the Canadian of a title in Cincinnati, this time coming from behind for a 3-6, 6-1, 10-4 win.

Muhammad and Routliffe did a better job applying pressure on return, winning 43 per cent of points on their opponent’s serve and creating 12 break points chances, of which they converted two. They also saved nine of 10 break points on their own serve.

Fernandez and Putintseva had to weather an early storm, facing a pair of break points at 1-1. Routliffe let them off the hook, punching a volley long on the first break point and then netting her return on the deciding point.

The Canadian-Kazakhstani duo quickly turned the tables and began applying pressure to the third seeds’ serve. In the following game, they had four break points and three more at 3-2, but the Kiwi-American team managed to escape, largely thanks to their great net play.

But Fernandez and Putintseva kept coming. At 4-3, Muhammad could not handle a huge return from Fernandez which set up a double break point and this time, the Canadian timed a poach perfectly to smash away a volley and seal the only break they needed in the opening set.

Set two was the reverse of the opener, as Muhammad had to save a break point on her serve in the opening game before the third seeds took control. In Putintseva’s first service game, the Kazakhstani managed to fend off two break points but missed her forehand on the deciding point to drop an early break.

Fernandez also got into trouble in her first service game, falling behind love-40. While they managed to scrap back to the deciding point, the Canadian netted a forehand to make it a double-break deficit. They had one chance to flip the momentum in the following game when Muhammad ended up at a deciding point after some double faults, but Putintseva netted her return.

Muhammad and Routliffe wrapped up the second set in a hurry and carried that momentum into the match tiebreak, where a couple of volley winners from the American scored a pair of early minibreaks as they raced to a quick 6-0 lead. That was more than enough cushion to hang on and take the title.

Fernandez also reached the quarter-finals of the singles, losing to National Bank Open champion Jessica Pegula who went on to reach the final.

Written By

Pete Borkowski