Canadian teen Leylah Annie Fernandez wins Monterrey Open, captures 1st WTA title
The Canadian Press | Posted: March 22, 2021 12:19 AM | Last Updated: March 22, 2021
18-year-old Laval, Que., native defeats Viktorija Golubic in final
Canadian teenager Leylah Annie Fernandez has captured her first career WTA Tour title.
The 18-year-old Fernandez, from Laval, Que., beat Swiss qualifier Viktorija Golubic 6-1, 6-4 in the Monterrey Open final on Sunday.
Fernandez said she tried to focus as much as she could on executing her coach's game plan, while not trying to think about the magnitude of Sunday's match.
"I didn't think it was a final or anything. I just tried to think of it as another match," Fernandez said after claiming the WTA 250 event.
WATCH | Fernandez wins Monterrey Open in straight sets:
Fernandez needed 89 minutes to defeat Golubic in a match that featured two players who hadn't lost a set all tournament long.
The Canadian cruised to win the first five games of the opening set, facing little trouble from her opponent.
Golubic finally won her first game 31 minutes into the contest, but Fernandez easily took the set.
Fernandez broke Golubic to take a 5-4 lead in the second set before serving out the match.
"I played an incredible first set," Fernandez said. "The second set she started picking up her game, making less mistakes and being a little more offensive. I just tried to match that as much as I could. I'm happy in those key moments near the end I was able to stick to my game plan and the balls just went in for me and I'm happy for it."
Fernandez lost her only other tournament final appearance, falling to Great Britain's Heather Watson in last year's Abierto Mexicano Telcel in Acapulco.
Fernandez said she used the emotions she felt from last year's loss as fuel for Sunday's win.
"It definitely helped today," Fernandez said.
The Canadian won't be able to celebrate her victory for long, however.
Fernandez is expected to be in Florida for the Miami Open where she is scheduled to play in a qualifying match against Romanian Mihaela Buzarnescu on Monday afternoon.
"We're just taking this one hour at a time," Fernandez said.
Fernandez will rise to a career-high 69th in the world in the WTA rankings after Sunday's victory.
Golubic, who made her second final appearance this season, is projected to rise to 81st from 102nd.