Fernandez Succumbs to Zheng Comeback in Wuhan

Leylah Annie Fernandez’s bid for a third WTA 1000 quarter-final of 2024 came up just short on Thursday as the Canadian was eliminated in the third round of the Wuhan Open by home-favourite Qinwen Zheng in three sets. 

The Canadian had beaten Zheng to reach the last eight at the WTA 1000 event in Doha earlier this year but, despite taking the first set, could not repeat the feat against the world No. 7, dropping a 5-7, 6-3, 6-0 decision. 

Serve made the difference in the match as Zheng won 74 per cent of her first-serve points, an impressive 62 per cent of her seconds, and limited Fernandez to just four break-point opportunities. The Canadian was under constant pressure in her own games, facing 13 break points, of which she saved seven, and winning a mere 37 per cent of second-serve points. 

Each woman had a chance to break early before Zheng made the first move in the fifth game, scoring the first break to move ahead 3-2. Fernandez was unfazed, however, responding with a break to love in the following game.  

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The Canadian applied pressure late, holding a break point in the eighth game and then again when Zheng was serving to send the set to a tiebreak at 5-6. From 30-all, the Chinese missed back-to-back forehands to hand the set to Fernandez. 

Zheng saved a break point in her first service game of the second set and used the hold to flip the momentum. In the following game, she pushed the Canadian hard on serve and on her third break point opportunity, fired a forehand that just caught the line to score the break. 

This time, the fifth seed did not let Fernandez get back into the set.  She only lost two points on serve the rest of the way and added another break in the ninth game courtesy of a generous net cord to send the match to a decider. 

Once again, Zheng broke early in the third set, this time claiming the Canadian’s first service game to immediately go up 2-0. She continued to defend her serve well and was opportunistic when she had a chance to break Fernandez. The home favourite converted three of four break points in the third set and lost just two points on her own serve as she wrapped up the win with a 29-minute bagel. 

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It was not all bad news for Fernandez on Thursday as she is through to the quarter-finals of the doubles with Aldila Sutjiadi after a dominant 6-1, 6-0 win over fifth seeds Elise Mertens and Shuai Zhang. Next up will be second seeds Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Ellen Perez. 

Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe are also through to the last eight of the doubles, where they will play Anna Danilina and Irina Khromacheva.