West London: Canada’s Fernandez falls to Boulter in Queen’s Club match
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Canada's Fernandez loses to Boulter in delayed match at Queen's Club
Leylah Fernandez, representing Canada, has been eliminated from the singles competition at the HSBC Championships grass-court tennis tournament. She lost to Britain’s Katie Boulter in a match that concluded on Tuesday, with a final score of 3-6, 7-6 (4), 7-5.
The match, held at The Queen’s Club in West London, was suspended on Monday night due to darkness. At the time of suspension, Fernandez, who was the eighth seed in the tournament, had won the first set and was tied 3-3 in the second set.
Boulter’s Comeback and Fernandez’s Fight
Upon the resumption of play, Boulter managed to overcome the disruption and secured a competitive second set. Fernandez then mounted a comeback in the third set, recovering from a break down. However, her service game faltered once more when the set was tied at 5-5, allowing Boulter to regain the lead. Boulter subsequently served out the match to claim the victory.
This encounter marked the first time the two players met in a WTA Tour main draw. Their previous meetings included a qualifying match at the 2018 Canadian Open in Montreal, where Boulter defeated Fernandez. Fernandez later evened the score by defeating Boulter in qualifying at the 2023 Citi Open in Washington.
Following her win, Boulter is scheduled to face Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian in the next round of the WTA 500 event.
Doubles Action at Queen’s Club
In addition to her singles play, Fernandez was also slated to compete in doubles. She was set to partner with Germany’s Laura Siegemund in a first-round match against Russia’s Alexandra Panova and Demi Schuurs of the Netherlands.
Another notable doubles match at the tournament featured the return of tennis legend Serena Williams. Williams made her anticipated return to competitive tennis alongside Canadian rising star Victoria Mboko. They were scheduled to play against New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe and Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States.
The doubles match saw a strong start for Mboko and Williams in the tie-break, following a return by Mboko and a double fault from Routliffe. Williams, who is 44 years old, received a warm welcome as she played for the first time since the 2022 US Open. She is a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion.
During their match, Mboko demonstrated solid play from the back of the court, delivering powerful groundstrokes. The 19-year-old Canadian appeared unfazed by the global attention surrounding the match, earning high-fives from her teammate Williams after a strong smash. Williams herself showcased her powerful serve, recording a 120mph bullet to win a crucial point and later a 113mph serve down the centre.
The match also saw moments where Williams’ speed was tested as she attempted to reach a drop shot. Despite some challenges, including a double fault that handed Routliffe and Melichar-Martinez a break back, Williams and Mboko managed to secure at least a tie-break in their first set together. The crowd at Andy Murray Arena was packed, with famous faces like alpine skier Lindsey Vonn among those watching from the balcony.
The first set of the doubles match eventually went to a tie-break. Mboko and Williams achieved a perfect start at Queen’s when Routliffe double-faulted on serve, giving them the game.
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Source: sportsnet.ca
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