Canadian tennis stars Leylah Annie Fernandez and Denis Shapovalov secured hard-fought victories on Friday in Asia, with Fernandez knocking out reigning French Open champion Mirra Andreeva 6-2, 7-5 in Singapore to reach her first semifinal of the season.
Fernandez Shocks French Open Champion in Singapore
Leylah Annie Fernandez delivered one of her sharpest performances of the year on Friday, defeating fifth-ranked Russian player Mirra Andreeva in straight sets to advance to the semifinals at the Singapore tournament. The 31st-ranked player from Laval seized control early, taking the opening set 6-2 before closing out a tense second set 7-5.
The decisive moment arrived when Fernandez broke Andreeva as the Russian served to force a tiebreak in the second frame. According to match statistics, Fernandez converted six breaks on the day and captured 53 percent of the points when Andreeva had the balls in hand.
“I am very happy with my victory, and the way I played both sets,” Fernandez told the WTA microphone following the match.
The mental fortitude required down the stretch proved vital for the Canadian contender, who weathered three breaks of her own serve. “It wasn’t easy, neither to start nor to finish this match, but I stayed strong mentally. Calm. Even in the difficult moments, I executed the game plan that my coaches gave me,” Fernandez added.
Next Challenge for Fernandez: Maja Chwalinska
With her hurdle cleared, Fernandez now prepares to face Poland’s Maja Chwalinska, who currently holds the 25th spot in the rankings. According to tournament records, the two players have never faced each other on the professional tour.
Shapovalov Dominates in Chengdu to Reach Quarters
Meanwhile, across the region at the ATP 250 tournament in Chengdu, China, Denis Shapovalov continued his strong run by dispatching Czech opponent Vit Kopriva 6-2, 6-3 in a swift 65-minute encounter.
The 50th-ranked Canadian relied on an overwhelming service game to keep Kopriva at bay, capturing 92 percent of his first-serve points. Shapovalov hit five double faults and surrendered just one break on the sole break point he faced during the match.
“Certainly very happy, especially since my game was irreproachable for the major part of the match,” Shapovalov stated via the official ATP website. “A small dip in the second set, but overall, it was very clean for me, I served very well.”
Quarterfinal Outlook for Shapovalov
Shapovalov advances to face France’s Adrian Mannarino, ranked 78th, in the next round. History favors the Canadian in this upcoming matchup, having won three of their four previous career head-to-head encounters.
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