WTA Abu Dhabi Open Round-up | Bagels for Leylah Fernandez and Liudmila Samsonova, more first-round pain for Kenin
WTASunday, 01 February 2026 at 18:08
With the Australian Open finished, the action shifts to the Middle East, and the WTA 500 Abu Dhabi Open is the first stop. This Sunday, the first players stepped onto the court for the opening round, with Leylah Fernandez leading the day’s line-up thanks to a dominant win over lucky loser Chloe Paquet — including a delivered bagel.
She was not the only player to record a lopsided victory, as Russia’s Liudmila Samsonova showed her top-20 pedigree by handing a bagel to former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin. World No. 37 McCartney Kessler also flew the flag for the Americans by eliminating former French Open runner-up Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
Kenin struggles again as Samsonova dominates
Perhaps the duel of the day was between world No. 18 Liudmila Samsonova and world No. 30 Sofia Kenin. The American, six years ago on these very dates, was lifting her first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, but reality has changed significantly for her, as she once again suffered a first-round defeat for the third consecutive tournament.
The opening set was one in which both players started by giving up their serves twice in succession. The score reached 2-2, with neither having held their opening service game. Samsonova broke the streak of breaks, and Kenin raised her level to keep pace. Up until 4-4 everything remained balanced, but Samsonova pressed the accelerator in the final part of the set — saving a couple of break points against her before taking the set 6-4 with a late break.
From that moment on, the Russian’s dominance was absolute, while her rival mentally collapsed. Kenin went from winning 50% of points on her first serve in the opening set to just 33%, a similar drop to her second serve, where she fell from 38% to barely 14%. The former world No. 4 won only five points on her serve and four points on return (26% of total points played), and Samsonova delivered a bagel in just 26 minutes to seal the victory 6-4, 6-0 and advance to the second round, where she will face the winner between Janice Tjen and Maya Joint.
Match Statistics Liudmila Samsonova vs. Sofia Kenin
| Liudmila Samsonova | VS | Sofia Kenin |
|---|---|---|
| Service | ||
| 4 | Aces | 0 |
| 6 | Double Faults | 5 |
| 56% (29/52) | 1st Service Percentage | 62% (33/53) |
| 69% (20/29) | 1st Service Points Won | 45% (15/33) |
| 52% (12/23) | 2nd Service Points Won | 30% (6/20) |
| 60% (3/5) | Break Points Saved | 33% (3/9) |
| 75% (6/8) | Service Games | 25% (2/8) |
| Return | ||
| 55% (18/33) | 1st Return Points Won | 31% (9/29) |
| 70% (14/20) | 2nd Return Points Won | 48% (11/23) |
Fernandez cruises past Paquet after late change
Leylah Fernandez (No. 23) had originally been drawn to face Ajla Tomljanovic (No. 78) in the first round, but the Australian withdrew from the tournament at the last moment due to illness and was replaced by lucky loser Chloe Paquet (No. 240). The Canadian was dominant from the outset, producing a first set in which she conceded only two points on her serve, while converting 3/3 break points in her favour.
Leylah claimed the opening set with an imposing 6-0 in just 26 minutes, in which she won up to 80% of the points played (86% service points, 75% return points).
Towards the second set, Paquet managed to reduce the gap and held up better on serve for several minutes. The start of the second set saw both players holding serve without complications, and it was not until 3-3 that the first break point of the match was played. The 2021 US Open champion took her second opportunity — in the eighth game — and ended up closing out the win 6-0, 6-3, winning the final three games consecutively. The former world No. 13 advanced to the second round, where she will face McCartney Kessler.
Match Statistics Chloe Paquet vs. Leylah Annie Fernandez
| Chloe Paquet | VS | Leylah Annie Fernandez |
|---|---|---|
| Service | ||
| 2 | Aces | 0 |
| 6 | Double Faults | 2 |
| 55% (22/40) | 1st Service Percentage | 53% (21/40) |
| 64% (14/22) | 1st Service Points Won | 81% (17/21) |
| 22% (4/18) | 2nd Service Points Won | 79% (15/19) |
| 20% (1/5) | Break Points Saved | - (0/0) |
| 43% (3/7) | Service Games | 100% (8/8) |
| Return | ||
| 19% (4/21) | 1st Return Points Won | 36% (8/22) |
| 21% (4/19) | 2nd Return Points Won | 78% (14/18) |
Kessler backs up her form against Pavlyuchenkova
A match that drew attention on the Abu Dhabi central court featured McCartney Kessler (No. 37) against veteran Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (No. 47), with the American remaining consistent on serve to break down her opponent. It was a turbulent start, with three consecutive breaks to open the match, leaving Kessler holding a 2-1 advantage.
From that point onwards, both players found stability on their first serves, and the American managed to stay ahead thanks to the break advantage she held. Towards the end, Pavlyuchenkova served at 3-5 to stay alive in the match, but once again offered a break opportunity, which Kessler quickly seized to move ahead 6-3.
The second set began with a quick advantage for Kessler, who earned an immediate break and then saved a 0-40 deficit in the third game (saving up to six break points) before extending her lead to 3-0. Pavlyuchenkova fought and had several chances — she even saved three match points on her serve — but it was not enough to mount a comeback against Kessler’s effective serving, as the American closed out a 6-3, 6-3 victory.
Match Statistics McCartney Kessler vs. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
| McCartney Kessler | VS | Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova |
|---|---|---|
| Service | ||
| 5 | Aces | 1 |
| 6 | Double Faults | 11 |
| 47% (28/59) | 1st Service Percentage | 48% (31/65) |
| 64% (18/28) | 1st Service Points Won | 77% (24/31) |
| 61% (19/31) | 2nd Service Points Won | 35% (12/34) |
| 86% (6/7) | Break Points Saved | 60% (6/10) |
| 89% (8/9) | Service Games | 56% (5/9) |
| Return | ||
| 23% (7/31) | 1st Return Points Won | 36% (10/28) |
| 65% (22/34) | 2nd Return Points Won | 39% (12/31) |
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