Canada’s hope for a singles title on the 2025 Australian Open got here to an finish on Friday as Leylah Annie Fernandez, the final Canadian standing in Melbourne, was crushed within the third spherical by world No. 3 Coco Gauff in straight units.
Gauff’s mixture of velocity and energy was as soon as once more an excessive amount of for Fernandez of their second match within the final match month. The American dictated the tempo a lot of the best way in a 6-4, 6-2 win.
In her earlier matches in Melbourne, Fernandez was the principle aggressor, however she struggled to wrestle management away from Gauff on this one, solely managing seven winners to the American’s 18. She additionally had 23 unforced errors. The Gauff serve made life tough for the Canadian, because the world No. 3 misplaced simply three factors when touchdown her first serve.
The primary signal of hassle for Fernandez got here within the third sport when three straight errors, together with a double fault, from the Canadian gave Gauff a love-40 opening. On that event, the Lavalloise was capable of win 5 factors in a row to flee with a maintain.
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At 3-3, problem on the backhand facet price the Canadian. Fernandez missed six of them within the sport, 5 unforced errors, together with three in a row from AD-40 as much as hand Gauff the primary break of the match. The American coasted on serve from there, successful eight of 9 factors on her personal supply to take the opening set.
Gauff stored the Canadian beneath stress to start out within the second, drawing back-to-back forehand errors from Fernandez within the opening sport to attain an instantaneous break.
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The American seemed like she was going to run away with the match when she broke to like for a 3-0 double-break lead, however out of nowhere, Gauff’s degree dropped dramatically within the fourth sport. She hit back-to-back double-faults to provide one of many breaks proper again to Fernandez.
Nonetheless, the Canadian couldn’t make the most of the reprieve. She double-faulted herself to start out the subsequent sport and proceeded to throw in a slew of unforced errors, gifting the break and momentum again to Gauff. Fernandez by no means had one other probability to get well the breaks because the world No. 3 clamped down on serve to complete off the match.
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With Fernandez’s loss, no Canadians stay in singles on the Australian Open. All three Canadian males misplaced within the second spherical, whereas Rebecca Marino was crushed in spherical one.
Fernandez and Gabriela Dabrowski are each nonetheless alive within the girls’s doubles. Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe gained their second-round match on Friday in three units, rallying from a set down for the second time this 12 months at Melbourne Park.
Tickets for the Davis Cup Qualifiers 1st Spherical tie between Canada and Hungary at the moment are on sale. Be part of us February 1 and a couple of at IGA Stadium in Montreal, because the Canadian group begins their quest for the 2025 Davis Cup Remaining 8. To entry tickets at early-bird pricing, click on right here.
