Fernandez through in first match since US Open run with dominant Cornet win at BNP Paribas Open Indian Wells
WTASaturday, 09 October 2021 at 07:25
Leylah Fernandez is through to the third round at BNP Paribas Open Indian Wells after easing past Alize Cornet in her first match since losing the US Open final to Emma Raducanu.
A 6-2, 6-3 success in just over an hour and 20 for the Canadian, she will now face Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova next up.
In facing a tough assignment to begin her first tournament back after her US Open run, it was a confident start for Fernandez who swept to a 5-0 lead with two comfortable breaks of serve.
But as she was looking like claiming the set, a 15 point game with three break and set points going begging handed Cornet the initiative to rally and she swept to a break herself to make it 5-2 down.
But it was the turn of the Canadian to bring the match back onto her terms as she finally eased to the opener 6-2.
The second set began and after saving break points to start against the Frenchwoman, she lost her serve at 40-0 only to claim it straight back with a similarly dominant break back at 40-15 before consolidating to make it 3-2.
This dominance continued but on the service games as Fernandez edged into a 4-3 lead and a timely break saw Fernandez serve for the match sealing it on the first match point after Cornet returned out off the serve.
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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