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| Leylah Fernandez clenches her first during the quarterfinals against Elina Svitolina at the US Open. |
Elina Svitolina was cut short of returning to where she left off at the US Open Tuesday. The 19-year-old Leylah Fernandez, who took down two giants of tennis added another in her 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(5) victory on Arthur Ashe Stadium at the Billy Jean King National Tennis Center. The Canadian used her youth and speed to outduel the fifth seed and enter her first major semifinal.
The Canadian has been on a run like no other in New York. Her huge wins over Naomi Osaka and Angelique Kerber in consecutive fashion left the 19-year-old in another win-win situation against Svitolina. The two met last year in Monterrey where she challenged the Ukrainian and would use all the tools to defeat another top 20 player. The world number five carried an eight-match winning streak and had yet to drop a set, meaning she would focus and execute the offense that would move her back into the semifinal since 2019.
Fernandez opened the match with great service while allowing Svitolina a point. The fifth seed answered back with a serve to love, but in the third, her attempts to catch the teen off guard were spoiled. Fernandez reacted well to Svitolina’s next return by placing herself in front of the net for the easy game win. The Ukrainian leveled to continue her service grip while waiting for her moment to strike against the Canadian teen.
In the sixth, it was the Canadian doing so on Svitolina when errors by the fifth seed brought Fernandez to deuce. On the second break, the two got into a rally that saw the 19-year-old forcing Svitolina to the corners before a winner clinched the first break of the set. Fernandez stepped up on serve in the seventh, keeping her opponent running and dictating the ball to lead 5-2. Of the last 15 points, the Canadian won 12 of them which woke up Svitolina to change the pace. In the eighth game down 0-30, the 26-year-old drew errors to extend the set.
It ended in the hands of Fernandez, who had to fight back Svitolina on deuce but found the decisive factor on a long return from the Ukrainian to end the set in 38 minutes. The Canadian was the lone player being aggressive on court and her 13 winners to Svitolina’s four said a lot about how well she took down the seeded star. She played better in long rallies winning 21 points and with another set to win, the 19-year-old still had a high amount of energy.
Svitolina knew she had to step things up and served Fernandez to love. The Canadian held with two points going to the world number five but still clean from a break. Despite committing a double fault, the 26-year-old powered through to keep ahead of the Canadian. A big offensive gave Svitolina three break points which held for a 3-1 jump.
A serve to love added a third win for the fifth seed, who had Fernandez trailing and didn’t let up. With another break in hand, Svitolina served to bring up the third set but watched Fernandez break her back and continue fighting. The teen opened up a 40-0 stand on serve, clinching it on the fifth point, putting her two games from leveling. Svitolina served once more for the set only to see Fernandez challenge with three break-point chances. Once she denied the teen every opportunity, the fifth seed got the second closed out in 38 minutes with a crosscourt ace.
The first serve improved on shots and points won by Svitolina, who had three aces and limited the errors down to four. Fernandez played her third consecutive three-setter and left the court for a break before returning to get the decider underway.
The Canadian got herself out front with a hold of serve, denying Svitolina a chance to break. The fifth seed followed suit but not for a second service game which Fernandez won on a strategy that paid off for a 3-1 lead. The Ukrainian broke back with all her efforts after a double fault from the teen kept her close enough to get the jump needed. Fernandez didn’t give her that shot in the sixth, scoring the double break of Svitolina to play for a three-game lead in the eighth.
She achieved it easily with her level of tennis breaking Svitolina, who was so frustrated by her inability to get on pace with the teenager. With an important service game to stay in the match, the fifth seed watched an easy winner from Fernandez find its mark. She forced an error before landing a sliced winner for the lead. Fernandez answered back with a line drive for 30-all eight before Svitolina landed her sixth ace. She got it on her seventh that put her two back with the hope of breaking the Canadian.
Fernandez continued to whip last-second returns at the fifth seed and inched closer to the match point. Svitolina was the first to reach a breakpoint and smashed a finish to the rally with only one game standing between her and a tie. Determined to get into control, the 26-year-old dug n on serve to contain the tenth and push Fernandez into submission. The teen wasn’t getting into a good position and despite having to play beyond the first break of deuce, she got it done on a winner at Svitolina’s left to play for the match.
The Ukrainian had one last service to make count against the Canadian but messed up a backhand return. She had a 30-15 lead but overcame a double fault to reach a game point. She clinched a chance for a tiebreak with Fernandez’s return landing wide of the court to go to a thrilling conclusion. With more experience, Svitolina hoped to conduct her own symphonic ender, but the first point went to the Canadian. She bounced back to level it only to see Fernandez paint the line to end her service.
The 19-year-old opened the gap only to see Svitolina close it on an error into the net on the eighth point. Svitolina held back on the forehand that ended up in the set, giving Fernandez the lead back. She drew an error from the Canadian to make it five-all and on the 11th point, the 19-year-old put herself at match point with an incredible line return. Fernandez took it on a long ball from Svitolina to end a 2 hour and 24-minute nail-biter.
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