Leylah Fernandez advances to Round 2 at Abu Dhabi Open despite service struggles
The Canadian Press | Posted: February 4, 2025 6:11 PM | Last Updated: 16 hours ago
Canadian, ranked 27th in the world, improves season record to 6-3
Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Que., advanced to the second round of the Abu Dhabi Open tennis tournament on Tuesday with a 7-6 (3), 7-6 (0) win over Japanese lucky loser Moyuka Uchijima.
Fernandez, the tournament's eighth seed, had eight double faults and struggled with her second serve against Uchijima, who was called into action after Russia's Ekaterina Alexandrova withdrew from the tournament.
But the 22-year-old Fernandez won 14 of 17 points in the tiebreaks to set up a second-round match with Lulu Sun of New Zealand.
Both players saved eight of 13 break points in the back-and-forth contest that took two hours eight minutes to complete.
Fernandez, ranked 27th in the world, improved her record this season to 6-3 and is coming off a third-round appearance at the Australian Open.
Sun, ranked 45th in the world, has yet to post a singles win in 2025.
WATCH | Fernandez ousted in Australian Open 3rd round:
Gauff donates $100K US for scholarship program
Tennis star Coco Gauff donated $100,000 US to UNCF to provide scholarships for students playing competitive tennis at historically Black colleges and universities.
UNCF will administer the Coco Gauff Scholarship Program, which was announced Tuesday.
"My family has a deep-rooted history with HBCUs, going all the way back to my great-great-grandfather. From aunts and uncles to cousins, HBCUs have played a huge role in shaping who we are," Gauff said. "Supporting UNCF in creating opportunities for student-athletes in tennis means a lot to me. As a young Black athlete, I understand how impactful it is to see people who look like me thriving in both sports and education."
Gauff, a 20-year-old from Florida, won the 2023 U.S. Open singles championship and the 2024 French Open women's doubles title.
She is currently No. 3 in the WTA rankings.
"Her commitment not only showcases her dedication to education and athletics but also inspires the next generation of student-athletes to pursue their dreams," said Maurice Jenkins Jr., UNCF's executive vice-president and chief development officer. "This gift reinforces the importance of supporting our young leaders and ensuring they have the resources necessary to succeed both on and off the court."