Leylah Fernandez delivered the performance of the tournament at the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open on Wednesday, shutting down Ukrainian-born German Eva Lys 6-4, 6-1.
The match-up was the first time two top-50 players had graced Victoria Park Tennis Stadium’s centre court at the same time at this year’s Open, but any signs it would be a close affair were quickly dispelled, as Fernandez took down Lys in one hour and eight minutes.
After the match, Canadian Fernandez said she went into the match with purpose.
“I think the first set, I came out swinging, and I was just … trusting myself, trusting my shots,” Fernandez said.
“As the game got closer, I thought, ‘Eva, she’s gonna run for every ball down, so I’m just gonna have to be patient on a couple of shots, but just to keep going for it.’ And in the second set, I was being smart with my rallies and shot selections.”
World No 22 Fernandez, who won the tournament in 2023, wasted no time getting into her groove, winning the first three games, the last two of which she took by scoring eight points in a row to both break and hold to love.
