Fernandez defeats Mertens in Japan Open second round
Canadian player advances after tough second-set battle.
The Brief
- Leylah Fernandez beat Elise Mertens 6-2, 7-6 (8) in the second round.
- Mertens mounted a comeback but Fernandez held on to win the final tiebreak.
- Fernandez converted four of 11 break-point chances despite three double faults.
Leylah Fernandez of Canada advanced to the next round of the Japan Open after defeating fifth-seeded Elise Mertens of Belgium in a closely contested second-round match.
Fernandez took an early lead in the second set, going ahead 4-1, but Mertens fought back, taking the next two games to narrow the gap.
The second set saw a series of rallies, with Mertens briefly taking a 5-3 lead before Fernandez retook control and eventually won the tiebreak.
Mertens led 8-7 in the tiebreak but Fernandez closed out the set with three consecutive points to secure the victory.
Fernandez faced three double faults and did not record an ace, but she capitalized on four of her 11 break-point opportunities to win the match.
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