By Richard Pagliaro | Sunday, May 29, 2023
19-year-old Leylah Fernandez exuded ferocity fending off Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 setting up an all-lefty quarterfinal vs. Martina Trevisan.
Photo credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty
The dream dangled in sight.
Leylah Fernandez remain riveted on the rotating ball to realize it.
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The 19-year-old Fernandez slashed successive crackling returns sealing a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 conquest of Amanda Anisimova in a high-quality clash between rising stars on Court Philippe Chatrier.
US Open finalist Fernandez redirected shots sharply, exhorted herself with positive affirmation between points and fought ferociously into her first Roland Garros quarterfinal.
"Today's match was a very hard match, an incredible match for the both of us," Fernandez said. "I think we brought a high level. I'm just glad that today I was able to fight through some difficult moments and just enjoy the game as much as possible and just to have another opportunity to play in Philippe Chatrier was just an amazing atmosphere and it was a great feeling for me."
The 2019 Roland Garros girls champion speaks French and is fluent in the art of the fight. Fernandez fought back from triple break point down in her opening service game of the final set and brought her best when it matter most. Fernandez hit 16 of her 35 winners in the final set and made 24 of 28 first serves in the decisive set.
The 17th-seeded Canadian, one of three teenagers still standing in the field, will face Martina Trevisan in an all-lefty quarterfinal.
Earlier, the baseliner from Florence, Italy out-dueled Aliaksandra Sasnovich 7-6(10), 7-5 on Court Suzanne Lenglen. The two-hour triumph sends the 59th-ranked Trevisan into her second Roland Garros quarterfinal in the last three years without permitting a set.
The Fernandez vs. Anisimova rematch saw each shotmaker take turns making bold strikes. Fernandez hit twice as many winners as errors (35 to 17), while Anisimova smacked 40 winners against 22 unforced errors.
Facing Anisimova for the second time in the last three months, Fernandez flashed eight winners to one for the hard-hitting Anisimova in charging out to a 4-0 lead. The pair combined for three breaks in a row before Fernandez navigated a deuce hold to take the opening set.
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The 20-year-old Anisimova carried a 13-3 clay-court record on the year into today’s rematch with Fernandez—and was eager to erase memories of their last meeting in Indian Wells in March. Anisimova led Fernandez 6-2, 5-4, 40-Love in Indian Wells before squandering four match points.
A feisty Fernandez exploited the lapse rolling through the second-set tiebreaker at Love before Anisimova walked to the chair umpire and said she was retiring. Though the umpire urged Anisimova to wait for the supervisor, the young American walked off the court.
This time around, Anisimova stepped into the court and asserted her aggression in the second set.
The 5’11” Anisimova was stepping into the court taking the ball earlier and flattening drives into the corners. Anisimova won eight of 10 points bursting to a 4-1 second-set lead.
Serving for the set at 5-3, Anisimova was victimized by two straight sizzling Fernandez forehand strikes down the line. The Canadian broke at love for 4-5.
Fernandez held game point to level, but double-faulted into net. Anisimova pounced pumping a forehand pass for a second set point. This time, Fernandez sailed a backhand as Anisimova snatched the second set after one hour, 14 minutes.
Facing triple break point at love-40 in her opening service game, Fernandez fought through a demanding hold to level the decisive set.
That escape focused Fernandez who wasn’t missing many first serves as the set progressed against Anisimova’s formidable return game.
A fired-up Fernandez flashed a forehand down the line for break point in the fifth game. Taking a return in the rise, Fernandez took Anisimova’s reaction time away provoking an error to break for 3-2.
Some fans were chanting “Leylah! Leylah!” as the Canadian battled through a tough hold to back up the break in the sixth game. An increasingly frustrated Anisimova, who was controlling some rallies in that game, flung her racquet in disgust after missing a forehand at one point.
Resetting, Anisimova answered with a love hold for 3-4.
Bouncing up and down on her toes behind the baseline, Fernandez showed physical urgency earning match point in the ninth game. The Canadian put a pair of returns into net as Anisimova gained game points.
Refusing to back off the baseline, Fernandez attacked a 97 mph serve and banged a backhand return for a second match point. Curling a forehand return crosscourt, Fernandez handcuffed the American adding one final break to close in one hour, 54 minutes. The woman nicknamed "Clay-lah" for this declarative dirt run has branded herself a major title contender again with her tenacity and drive.
"I think it's actually pretty amazing that they came up with Clay-lah, because I have no creativity for that. I wouldn't think of that nickname," Fernandez said of her new nickname. "But my family do use the nickname Leylannie, using my first and middle name, and they put it together, which I always like, I know that I'm doing things right or I'm like being a good kid when they're calling me Leylannie.
"I think winning the French Open is a long way from here, and I just want to enjoy today's win and get ready for my next match."