Fernandez squeaks by in Indian Wells as American foe retires
MANILA, Philippines — Out of sync and outplayed, Leylah Fernandez never was out of the match against Amanda Anisimova in their highly anticipated BNP Paridas Open duel Saturday (Sunday, Manila time), pulling off another improbable comeback then getting a break when the American surprisingly retired before the start of what would have been a thriller of a third set.
The Fil-Canadian saved four match points in the second set reminiscent of her stirring fightback to retain her Monterrey title last week in Mexico, then went on to clinch a 2-6, 7-6 (ret.) win as Anisimova retired after yielding all points in the decider that enabled the former to stay in the match the latter dominated majority of the way.
When told in jest that her victory was similar to Rafael Nadal’s escape from two breaks down in the third set to repulse young American Sebastian Korda in the second round of the ATP Masters, 6-2, 1-6, 7-6(3), Fernandez, who occassionally trains at Nadal's Rafa Nadal Academy in Spain, chuckled then said: “Stop it. You’re making me blush.”
That’s after the announcer opened: “Tell us, Rafa, I mean Leylah.”
Then she turned serious.
“If you’re down, just don’t lose hope. Enjoy the time... You’re down but still not out. Just have to find solutions, and I found [solutions],” said Fernandez, who also marked her remarkable US Women’s Open run with a slew of come-from-behind victories.
Fernandez, 19, thus now saved nine match points, counting her recent escape against Camila Osorio in the finals of the Abierto GNP Seguros.
But Anisimova put her on the defensive majority of their one hour, 36-minute match as the American, behind her powerful groundstrokes and solid returns, broke Fernandez in shutout fashion right in the first game of the opening set. She went on to break her twice enroute to the easy win.
After trading breaks to start the second set and held serve in the next four, Anisimova broke again in the seventh to regain control, went 5-3 by holding serve.
Fernandez held serve in the ensuing game then Anisimova poised herself to wrapping up the match by going 40-0, only to lose her poise in the face of the former’s counter onslaught.
Fernandez saved one match point after another to draw level then held serve with Anisimova waging her own fightback to force a 6-all count.
But she was visibly not in her elements in the tiebreaker, yielding the first three points and Fernandez went on to sweep the next four. The American then approached the chair umpire to say the she was ill and retiring from the match.
The victory thus sent the 18th-ranked Fernandez to a round of 32 clash with American Shelby Rogers who shocked 10th seed Jelena Ostapenko, 7-5, 7-6(7), in their side of the second round duel.
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