Mirra Andreeva sets up Leylah Fernandez quarter-final showdown as reigning champion receives walkover

Wednesday, 23 September 2026 at 15:49

The Singapore Tennis Open continues with the big names entering the fray. The main one was Mirra Andreeva, who headlined the day with a comfortable win, while the reigning champion, Elise Mertens, breezed through without even hitting a ball.

The Belgian was supposed to play against Barbora Krejcikova in the second round. That contest would never occur. Just before the tie, Krejcikova would withdraw with a back injury.

The Czech had played in a tense three-set thriller the day before, where she saved two match points. However, she did take a medical timeout during the contest, and that problem has seemed to prevent her from continuing her campaign in Southeast Asia. That means the No.4 seed advances despite not yet featuring on court.

Andreeva dazzles in commanding display

After the likes of Jessica Pegula and Amanda Anisimova withdrew, Andreeva is the big favourite to take this title. She had little issue in disposing of Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-2, 6-2.

The Russian is targeting a fourth WTA title of 2026 to add to the Roland Garros triumph. This time last year, she was struggling for form which saw her cruelly miss out on a WTA Finals debut. Determined not to make the same mistake, she features in Singapore and has sent out a statement of intent.

She exploded out of the blocks, getting two breaks en route to a 4-1 lead. Sasnovich did respond by reducing the deficit to one break, but that was instantly corrected by Andreeva who served it out with ease to take a one-set lead.

Andreeva again broke to start the set, but this time Sasnovich responded instantly, keeping tabs with the World No.5. It was very brief. Andreeva snuck back ahead before extending her advantage to lead 5-2. She converted a first match point and waltzed into the quarter-final.

Mirra Andreeva smiling while fist pumping on court

Mirra Andreeva dropped just four games in a dominant victory

Chwalinska and Fernandez reach quarter-finals in Singapore

From one Roland Garros finalist to another, Maja Chwalinska has struggled for form since that magical run. In fact, this is the first time since Paris that she has won more than one singles match in the same tournament. This was done in some style, battering a hapless Oleksandra Oliynykova 6-0, 6-1.

Just 59 minutes it took for the Pole to prevail with not much of a challenge coming back at her. The first set took 25 minutes, in which Chwalinska did not face a break point. Oliynykova then seemed to be starting a fight back with a break of serve to commence the second set, but that was not the case. Chwalinska converted three from three break points and dropped just eight points in the rest of the match, again winning six consecutive games.

Culminating the action was Leylah Fernandez who tackled Alycia Parks. There was little problem for the former US Open finalist who kept her opponent at arm's length, prevailing 6-4, 6-3.

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The first set was a very one-sided affair. After Parks levelled at 30-all after holding serve, she would not win another point for some time. In fact, the Canadian won 14 points on the bounce, breaking twice to go 4-1 up. This awful period was almost made up for as Parks won three games in a row to close the gap to 5-4. Fernandez had one more chance to serve it out, and to her relief did so to get the first set under her belt.

A trio of breaks went the way of Fernandez, and soon enough she had two match points against the American’s serve. A third one came along, and Fernandez stopped faffing around to set up a mouth-watering tie against Andreeva.

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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