Leylah Fernandez is on a roll, and she’s on her way to the final round of the US Open tournament.
The 19-year old tennis pro snagged a victory against the Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka in the US Open’s semis. Although the No. 2 seed dominated the first eight minutes of the match with a seemingly unstoppable 3-0 run, Fernandez kicked her game up a notch and turned the tables after the second set.
The most crucial part of the match for Fernandez was when she managed to break Sabalenka’s serve in the set’s seventh game. This led to a tie-breaker that bolstered the Canadian teen’s confidence even more, and she managed to pull off a score of 7-3 by the end of the match.
When asked how she was able to win against the world’s second-ranked tennis player, Fernandez said that she didn’t have a clue. “I have no idea,” the Montreal resident shared. “I just wanted to be in the finals. I really wanted it, and I fought for every point.”
Apart from Sabalenka, the 19-year old Canadian also snagged a victory against top-ranked players in the previous rounds of the tournament, namely Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, American Angelique Kerber, and Naomi Osaka of Japan.
For the record, Fernandez is the fourth Canadian ever to reach the US Open final and the second Canadian woman to do so. Her next match is scheduled for Saturday against the winner of the game between Emma Raducanu and Maria Sakkari.
