Monterrey Open 2020: Elina Svitolina vs Leylah Fernandez, match preview and prediction

A rising talent in the form of Canada's Leylah Fernandez is all set to take on a struggling top star of the women's game, Elina Svitolina, in the quarter-final of the 2020 Monterrey Open.

The two women will play on the center court on Friday evening in a high stakes battle for both parties. While a second consecutive semi-final in WTA tournaments will auger well for the young Fernandez, a good run here will put a stop to Svitolina's free fall in 2020.

The Ukrainian has struggled to find any form at all in the new season. Coming into the tournament, she has only managed four wins in 10 matches.

Elina Svitolina has struggled to string together two match wins this year.

And a win will not come easy against Fernandez. To be fair, the Canadian is not the biggest hitter out there, but it's her flair on the court that bodes well for her.

The youngster always knows what shot to hit and when to hit it. Svitolina was, in fact, a lot like Fernandez in her early years; not the most powerful, but the smarter player on the court.

It will then make for an interesting battle on court, seeing two talented and extremely aware women fight it out for the edge in the rallies. The only difference at this point will be in terms of confidence, and that's where Fernandez has an edge, having played a final just last week.

Fernandez will be looking for the second Top 5 win of her career.

Svitolina definitely has enough experience to not know how to handle pressure from a confident opponent and it will be a real test of her character and stealth.

Fernandez won against a top 5 opponent in form of Belinda Bencic and looked every bit of a champion in that match. Already a junior slam winner, she is not afraid of the big stage, she rather embraces it.

This encounter has all the makings of a classic and it will really come down to whoever plays the big moments well.

Prediction: Fernandez to win in three sets