‘I don’t know why finally my game is clicking,’ patience pays off for Leylah Fernandez after shocking victory over Naomi Osaka at US Open 2021
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Leylah Annie Fernandez
Leylah Fernandez scripted the biggest win of her career so far, after she defeated the defending champion, Naomi Osaka in three sets in the third round of US Open 2021. The 18-year-old came back from behind to claim an unlikely win and storm into the fourth round.
Leylah Fernandez lost the first set by a close margin, but came back into the match after winning the second set tiebreaker. The Canadian held her nerve in the dying stages of the final set, as she served for the win against the third seed.
The 18-year-old revealed that she never let her shoulders drop, even when she lost the first set against Naomi Osaka. She motivated herself by saying that a break was always around the corner.
“Even a break down in the second set, or even in the first set, I still believed,” Fernandez said at her press conference. “I still told myself that I’m closer and closer to finding a solution, that I will get that break opportunity, I will have that moment in hand. I’m just glad that I had it and I took it and ran away with it,” she added.
Leylah Fernandez believed that she could win against the defending champion
Leylah Fernandez was not overawed by the occasion, as she played against the four-time Grandslam champion. She was confident in her abilities, and believed that she could win against the third seed.
“From the very beginning, right before the match, I knew I was able to win,” Leylah said. The Canadian made the headlines this year, after she claimed the title at Monterrey Open. Ever since, her form has dipped and she has not been at her best. However, patience has finally rewarded her, as she defeated the tournament favorite, Naomi Osaka.
“I don’t know why finally my game is clicking. The past few months, even after Monterrey, I’ve been working hard, training super well. My coach, my dad, is saying be patient, have confidence in your game, it will show in matches. I’m glad it finally did,” said Fernandez.
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Nirmit Mehta
(2425 Articles Published)