Home hero Leylah Fernandez delights home crowd, eases past Peyton Stearns at Canadian Open

Leylah Fernandez is up and running at the Canadian Open (Omnique Banque Nationale) in Montreal, with the former US Open finalist and home hero dispatching Peyton Stearns in straight sets.

Fernandez had a superb run last week after an up and down time since reaching the US Open final, albeit with less lows than Emma Raducanu.

But she also reversed a loss to Stearns winning it 6-3, 6-2 from Rabat earlier this season, which the rising American star sealed 6-3, 2-6, 6-2.

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Now awaiting is Beatriz Haddad Maia or Magdalena Frech who are playing as of time of writing with the former on the verge. But it was a match of no stress for the 20-year-old.

Also victories this evening so far for Caroline Wozniacki as well as Karolina Muchova, a delayed win for Daria Kasatkina, Yulia Putintseva.

Anna Blinkova and Marta Kostyuk have just got going against Shuai Zhang and Qinwen Zheng. Bianca Andreescu is next up for the home fans to get behind playing Camila Giorgi.

But for Fernandez who produced 79% of first serve points won, 44% on second serve and saved 3/4 break point opportunities while converting 4/9, it was a successful opening outing this week in Montreal.