Leylah Fernandez, of Laval, Que., is out of the China Open after being upset by American Peyton Stearns on Friday. Fernandez returns a shot to Anastasia Potapova, of Russia, during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024, in New York. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Matt Rourke
BEIJING – Leylah Fernandez, of Laval, Que., is out of the China Open after being upset by American Peyton Stearns on Friday.
The unseeded Stearns, a 22-year-old from Cincinnati, took down the 20th-seed Fernandez in straight sets, 7-5, 6-2, in the round of 64 in Beijing.
Fernandez, 22, committed five double faults and landed just 48 per cent of her first serves.
Stearns made 61.8 per cent of her first serves and kept the Canadian on her heels for much of the match, converting five of 14 breakpoint opportunities.
It’s the third consecutive early exit for Fernandez, whose last singles win was a round-of-16 victory over Diana Shnaider of Russia at the Cincinnati Open on Aug. 16.
Stearns will face Russia’s Anna Kalinskaya in the next round.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 27, 2024.
