Canada's Leylah Fernandez returns to Ukraine's Kateryna Baindl in a first round women's singles match on day one of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Monday, July 3, 2023. Fernandez of Laval, Que., defeated Baindl in three sets, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, to advance to the second round at Wimbledon on Monday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Alberto Pezzali
LONDON – Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Que., defeated Ukraine’s Kateryna Baindl in three sets, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, to advance to the second round at Wimbledon on Monday.
It’s Fernandez’s first main-draw win at Wimbledon. She suffered a first-round exit in her only other appearance at the grass-court Grand Slam in 2021.
The 20-year-old lefty won just 65 per cent of her first-serve points, but broke the 29-year-old Baindl’s serve six times en route to victory.
Fernandez, ranked 95th in the world entering the tournament, faces a difficult match against No. 5 Caroline Garcia of France in the next round.
Canadian men Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov are also in action on Monday.
Auger-Aliassime is playing American Michael Mmoh and Shapovalov takes on Radu Albot of Moldova.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 3, 2023.
