Alexandrova upsets Leylah Fernandez in Cincinnati opener

Playing in her first tournament since Berlin, Ekaterina Alexandrova rallied from being down in both sets to upset 2021 US Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez in the first round of the Western & Southern Open on Monday.

Alexandrova displayed her fighting spirit in the 6-4 7-5 victory, stunning the crowd with her show of resilience. The World No.27 rallied from 3-0 down in the first set and 5-1 down in the second set to oust Fernandez and level their head-to-head 1-1.

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Although the Canadian superstar had several opportunities to extend the match to a third set, she was unable to overcome Alexandrova's dogged spirit. Fernandez served for the second set twice, but Alexandrova wiped out two set points to prolong the set, ultimately winning the last six games of the match.

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With her victory over the 13th seed being her fourth Top 20 win of the season, Alexandrova will now face the winner between four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka and China's Zhang Shuai.