Leylah Fernandez progresses at ASB Classica

AUCKLAND, New Zealand — (AP) — Canada’s 2021 US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez opened her 2023 season with an emphatic 6-1, 6-1 win Monday over 15-year-old Brenda Fruhvirtova within the first spherical of the ASB Traditional.

Third-seeded Fernandez wanted solely 61 minutes to brush by the Czech teenager, who entered the principle draw on a wild card.

Fernandez beat three top-5 gamers, together with defending champion Naomi Osaki, on her strategy to the 2021 US Open closing the place she was crushed by Britain’s Emma Raducanu, who is also in the principle draw at Auckland.

The 20-year-old mentioned life had been robust since her closing look at Flushing Meadows, which considerably raised expectations of her efficiency.

“It’s been more durable extra mentally and emotionally since you don’t actually know what the long run holds for you and you’ve got these massive desires and typically you get knocked down and you are feeling like that’s the top of the journey,” she mentioned.

“I attempt to not take into consideration the previous and simply preserve excited about the current and preserve shifting ahead.

“One in all my objectives is to be extra constant, to get deeper into tournaments and see the place I’m at bodily, mentally and in addition tennis-wise.”

Earlier China’s Zhu Lin beat sixth seeded American Madison Brengle 4-6, 7-6, 6-4 in a match which lasted virtually 4 hours as a consequence of rain delays.

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