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Leylah Fernandez was successful in her opening-round test at the 2024 Australian Open and plans to relax before her next match with some crime drama.
In a match between two young stars of the WTA Tour, No. 32 seed Leylah Fernandez came up against qualifier Sara Bejlek on Sunday, January 14. Both players exchanged solitary breaks of serve in the first set, with Fernandez taking the lead via a tiebreaker.
Bejlek broke Fernandez to begin the second set but was quickly broken back. The former US Open finalist then shifted gear and broke the Bejlek twice to wrap up the match 7-6(5), 6-2 in an hour and 36 minutes.
After the victory, Fernandez said she plans to relax and recover with the crime-drama series 'Reacher.' The Canadian is a self-proclaimed "true crime junkie." Moreover, she plans to do a little crocheting, which is one of her favorite activities.
"First I’m gonna recover. After, I’ll probably watch a show called ‘Reacher.’ it's pretty good one. Maybe I’m gonna crochet a bit. I love crocheting," Fernandez said during her on-court post-match interview.
Fernandez also praised Bejlek for her valiant effort. She said the match was tricky for her as she has not played many left-handed opponents. She was happy to come through the match and manage the pressure points well.
"It was a tough first-round match against Sara; she is a very, very good young player. I haven't played many lefties, so it was a tough one, but I'm super happy that I was able to play some good points in some important moments, and playing in front of an amazing crowd feels good," Fernandez said.
Leylah Fernandez to play Alycia Parks in Australian Open 2R
Leylah Fernandez will play in the second round of the Australian Open for the second time in her young career. She will face Alycia Parks of the USA on Wednesday, January 17. This will be the first time the two will face each other on the WTA Tour.
Alycia Parks will come into the contest after the notching just her second Grand Slam win. She commenced her campaign in Melbourne against Ukraine's Daria Snigur and fell behind early in the contest. Parks came back from a set down and won the marathon three-setter, 2-6, 6-2, 6-4.
Leylah Fernandez has now matched her performance at the Australian Open from last year, when she reached the second round. She defeated French veteran Alize Cornet in the opening round in 2023 before losing to No. 4 seed Caroline Garcia.
