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Leylah Fernandez started her 2022 season on a winning note as she defeated Ekaterina Alexandrova to start her Adelaide International campaign. In the final match of the day on Court 1, the Canadian played some of her finest tennis to completely outclass her opponent.
Leylah Fernandez vs Ekaterina Alexandrova Score
Leylah Fernandez defeated Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-3, 6-4.
Leylah Fernandez vs Ekaterina Alexandrova Winner
Fernandez advances to the second round with a win over Ekaterina Alexandrova. Her opponent in the next round will be either defending champion Iga Swiatek or qualifier Daria Saville. If she manages to win that match, her path will only get more difficult as she's in the same half of the draw as Ashleigh Barty, Victoria Azarenka and Paula Badosa.
Leylah Fernandez vs Ekaterina Alexandrova Recap
Fernandez was completely dominant in her straight sets win over Alexandrova. In the first set, she broke the Russian's serve during the fourth game of the match to go up 3-1. She held on to that lead and won the opening set 6-3.
Fernandez had a couple of opportunities in the very first service game of the second set, but Alexandrova managed to fend those off. The Canadian had another opportunity during the next service game, and this time managed to secure the break to lead 2-1.
She held on to the lead and when serving for the match at 5-4, she closed it out on her first match point. It was an impressive start for Fernandez, as she didn't face a single break point while on serve. She won a whopping 86% of her first serve points.
However, she only managed to convert two out of the eight break point opportunities she had. Fernandez can't afford to squander so many chances, especially if she plays against Swiatek in the next round.
The teenager's run at the 2021 US Open, where she reached her maiden Grand Slam final, put her in the spotlight. But it also brought with it a fair amount of expectations. So far, she seems to be handling it well. A dominant performance like today's certainly sends a message to her opponents that she's ready for all the challenges.
