MATCH REPORT | 2024 Australian Open: Alycia PARKS surprises Leylah FERNANDEZ in stunning performance

WTA
Wednesday, 17 January 2024 at 06:07
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Alycia Parks (No. 82) surprised Leylah Fernandez (No. 32) with a 7-5, 6-4 victory, advancing to the third round of the 2024 Australian Open. In her debut, Fernandez defeated the rising young star Sara Bejlek, who had a strong performance but fell short against the 2021 US Open finalist, losing 7-6, 6-2.
Parks faced a tough battle against Daria Snigur, ultimately winning 2-6, 6-2, 6-4. The 23-year-old American secured her first title last year at the Lyon Open but has struggled for consistency since then, ending the year with a record of 8-18.
The first set began with Leylah Fernandez solid from her service and putting pressure on her opponent during returns. The second game saw 16 points and three break points, but Parks managed to survive the early pressure. However, the Canadian wouldn't falter in securing the break in the next game, taking the lead.
The 2021 US Open finalist led 5-2 in what seemed like a straightforward day, but she began to accumulate errors, allowing Parks to re-enter the game and gain confidence. The world No. 82 won a total of five consecutive games and displayed a more aggressive approach, hitting 16 winners compared to Fernandez's 4.
In the second set, Leylah won her first service game but then made errors that allowed Parks to be the first to secure a break. The American had three opportunities for a second break, but this time Fernandez took the initiative to recover the game and stay in the match, trailing 3-2.
Parks felt pressured to finish points quickly, especially on Fernandez's service games, leading to clear errors in returns. With the intention of closing out the match on her serve, Parks showcased the best of her serving and hardly allowed Leylah to put the ball in play, ending the match without any further breaks on either side, with a score of 7-5, 6-4 in favor of Parks. In the third round, Parks will face another American, as she awaits for 4th seed Coco Gauff who defeaged Caroline Doleheide 7-6, 6-2.

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