Leylah Fernandez is the winner of the Abierto GNP Seguros in Monterrey after beating Viktorija Golubic in straight sets 6-1,6-4 for the first WTA title of her young career.
The 18-year-old produced 23 winners while her Swiss opponent hit 27 unforced errors in the match during what marks the end of a historic period for Canadian tennis. It was the first time two Canadians had made back to back finals in consecutive weeks following Eugenie Bouchard who played in the final of Guadalajara last week. Fernandez said she used her emotions from reaching the final last year to fuel her to victory.
” I think it’s just the emotions, last year I lost in the finals in Acapulco and this year I was able to get to the finals in Monterrey and I just try to do my best and try to use the emotions I felt last year as fuel so I can get the win and it helped,” she said.
The first set began with early nerves for the Montreal native as she struggled a bit to start the match and faced a breakpoint in her opening service game but she was able to calm herself down and hold her service game.
After that she went on the offensive and earned two early breakpoints on Golubic‘s opening service game and would break using the strategy she had been using all week which was to attack the net.
She would break to take an early 2-0 lead and managed to turn that into a double break as Golubic was struggling to get into the match. At 4-0 the Swiss native managed to earn two more breakpoints with her one handed backhand that was working to full effect.
The Canadian would save both and serve out the first to take the first set in less than 40 minutes.
The second set was a closer affair and at 1-1 Fernandez would earn another early breakpoint and would break to take a 2-1 lead. The lead didn’t last long as Golubic broke right back the following game to back on serve.
It stayed on serve until 4-4 with Fernandez sensing the finish line was within reach and earned two breakpoints. On the second one she would get the crucial break and serve out the match.
After the match in her post game press conference she told Ubitennis if her attacking the net more frequently was part of a new game plan.
” It’s always been part of my game going to the net but I think the last two matches it has been working pretty well for me, going out there and having fun on the court and I wasn’t thinking too much about the consequences just going out there and just execute what I have been training and this was part of my training and I’m happy that the balls went in for me”.
Fernandez won’t have that much time to celebrate winning the tournament as she is off to Miami to play in the qualification draw and is scheduled to play Monday at 4:30pm local time.
