Fernandez outlasts Zheng to keep title hopes alive in Monterrey

Defending champion Leylah Fernandez was forced to dig deep on Wednesday night at the Abierto GNP Seguros, but eventually prevailed in a slugfest against Qinwen Zheng to advance to the quarterfinals.

The second seed required two hours and 42 minutes to get past her Chinese opponent, pulling off a 6-1 4-6 7-6(3) victory. Fernandez raced through the opening set but suffered a dip in form that saw Zheng capitalize on her break opportunity to claim the second set.

The decider saw both ladies hold serve, leading to a tense tiebreak. It was here that the Canadian took over the match, aggressively attacking her opponent's serve to lead 3-1. Another break all but handed her the match, as Fernandez maintained her rhythm to seal the victory.

The 2021 US Open runner-up hopes to successfully defend the title she won last year, as she will face the winner between Mayar Sheriff and Qiang Wang in the quarterfinals.