Fernandez Solves Shnaider to Reach Cincinnati Quarters

Leylah Annie Fernandez is having a brilliant run at the Cincinnati Open. A day after saving match points to shock world No. 4 Elena Rybakina, she took out last week’s Toronto semifinalist Diana Shnaider in straight sets to reach the quarter-finals in southern Ohio. 

Unlike her previous two matches, Fernandez came out of the gate quickly. And while she did have to mount a comeback in the second set, the Canadian managed to avoid another decider as she won the last five games in a row to reach her second WTA 1000 quarter-final of the year with a 6-1, 6-4 victory. 

The Canadian fire seven aces and broke serve four times in the win. She also defended her own serve well, winning 83 per cent of her first-serve points and saving four of five break points on her own serve. 

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Fernandez got off to a red-hot start in the opening set of the all-lefty showdown, using her precision baseline game and counterpunching skills to disrupt Shnaider’s timing. The Canadian secured two early breaks of serve to race ahead 4-0 in just 17 minutes.  

She then escaped a break point chance, firing three consecutive aces to hold for a commanding 5-0 lead. Fernandez wrapped the opening set on serve 6-1 in just 36 minutes. 

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After missing a chance to take the early break in the third game of the second set, Fernandez herself was broken to go down 3-1. Despite pressure to break back from the Canadian, Shnaider saved a break point before holding for a 4-1 lead. 

That was as close as the National Bank Open semifinalist would get. From there, it was all Fernandez as she won the next five games in a row, breaking serve twice before serving out the match to love. 

The 21-year-old is through to just her third WTA 1000 quarter-final and second of 2024, having previously reached the last eight in Doha in February.  

She will square off against another player who had a strong run last week in Toronto, either National Bank Open champion Jessica Pegula or quarter-finalist Taylor Townsend, with a spot in her first WTA 1000 singles semifinal on the line.