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Tennis fans have expressed joy after Leylah Fernandez won her first title of the season at the Hong Kong Tennis Open.
After having her season disrupted by injuries, Fernandez entered the tournament ranked World No. 60. She beat the likes of Victoria Azarenka, Mirra Andreeva, Linda Fruhvirtova, and Anna Blinkova to reach the final.
In the title clash on Sunday, October 15, Fernandez took on Katerina Siniakova. The Canadian came from a set down to win 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in two hours and 49 minutes to clinch the third WTA title of her career.
After the match, fans took to social media to express their emotions at Fernandez finally showing glimpses of her best form. One fan praised the 21-year-old's determination and grit.
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"Leylah is a wonderful young lady she is so talented. Full of determination and grit. Congratulations," said one fan.
Another fan stated that tennis is better off with Fernandez in the mix.
"Tennis is better with Leylah in the mix. You hit the essence of her appeal," said another fan.
Some even compared the Canadian to Emma Raducanu, who beat the former to win the 2021 US Open. Raducanu has been injured for much of 2023. Here are a few more fan comments:
"Very, very hard past couple of years" - Leylah Fernandez happy to put her troubles behind her with Hong Kong Open title
Leylah Fernandez did not start the Hong Kong Tennis Open final on a strong note. She got broken twice early on, giving Katerina Siniakova the early advantage. The Czech player took the lead in the match by clinching the opening set.
Fernandez, however, fought back soon after. She raced away to a 4-0 lead in the second set, when Siniakova had to take a medical timeout. She returned with her left leg taped and did her best to make a comeback, but couldn't stop the Canadian from taking the second set and forcing the decider.
While the third set was an evenly fought one, with Fernandez managing to lead 4-3 with a break advantage. She consolidated her lead to take the third set and with it secure the title.
After the match, Fernandez stated that she had endured several difficult months and was happy to see her efforts finally translate into good results.
"We had a very, very hard past couple of years. My family, my parents, my coach, and my performance coach stayed by my side. They motivated me to keep going and the hard work is paying off. Hopefully, we can keep going this way," she said in her on-court interview.
The result also means that Fernandez will leave Hong Kong by making a return to the Top 50 in the WTA rankings.
