Leylah Fernandez has booked her spot in the third round of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells after Amanda Anisimova decided to retire from the match at 6-2, 6-7.
The Canadian served three aces and 16 winners while her opponent hit 28 unforced errors in the match.
“We were playing a great match when she told me she wasn’t feeling well and I told her I hope she can feel better.” Said Fernandez.
Anisimova came out blazing in the first set by breaking the Montreal native to love in the opening game of the match and then at 2-0 broke her a second time to take a 3-0 lead.
World number 21 Fernandez tried to fight back earning six breakpoints and at the sixth time of asking she was able to convert before getting her serve broken again the following game. That was enough Anisimova to serve out the first set and it continued to motivate her as she once again broke Fernandez’s serve in the first game of the second set.
The second frame stayed on serve until 5-3, when the American had a match point but was denied by Fernandez. In the following game she had three more chances to wrap up the match but failed.
The second set was decided by a tiebreak and that’s when the Canadian blitzed her oponent after winning seven points in a row to take the second set.
After losing the second set Anisimova went to the chair saying she wasn’t feeling well picked up her bag and retired. The American later took to Twitter to explain what had happened as on TV no one had realized or known what the issue was. However, she later deleted her post on social media for unknpown reasons.
Fernandez will next face another American Shelby Rodgers in the third round.
