Leylah Fernandez during the 2021 French Open
The match was level on one set each when Amanda Anisimova decided to give a walkover
Leylah Fernandez got through to the Round of 32 at Indian Wells Masters after Amanda Anisimova retires mid-way through the match with the score line level on 6-2, 6-7. Anisimova had a great start to the match dominating the first set and winning it comprehensively.
The no.18 seed then made a strong come back which saw an intense battle between the two eventually Fernandez winning it in the tie-breaker. While everyone was gearing up for the deciding set, Anisimova walked up to Fernandez to let her know she won’t be able to continue due to sickness. As a result, Fernandez won the match by virtue of a walkover.
Anisimova could be seen leaving the court with teary eyes as the audience and Leylah clapped on to cheer her up. Definitely a disappointing end to an amazing match. Speaking after the match, Leylah said, “We were playing a great match and when she told me that she was sick, the only thing that came to mind is that I hope she feels better and very soon we can have another match like this one.”
The Canadian had a piece of advice for youngsters and followers on how to not give up when you are in a tough situation. “Enjoy the moment, enjoy the fight because this is once in a lifetime. If you are down, you’re still in it, you just got to find a solution”, she said. Although Anisimova was the home favourite, Leylah Fernandez receive ample amount of support from the crowd.”It means the world to me, for everybody that’s here at the stadium, coming here to cheer both of us – that’s the reason I play sports, that’s the reason I play tennis”, said Leylah thanking the fans for their support.
Fernandez will be up against another American and local favourite Shelby Rogers in the Round of 32. Rogers is unseeded in the tournament but has had a terrific tournament so far. The American won a hard fought three-setter in her first round against Parrizas-Diaz and followed it up with a stunning straight sets victory against 10th seed, Jelena Ostapenko in the next round.
Ostapenko was the favourite going into the match and had the edge over Rogers even in terms of head to head, defeating her in the same tournament last year. Shelby Rogers surprised everyone and secured a top-notch victory against the seeded Latvian to the utter delight of the home crowd.
The clash between Fernandez and Rogers definitely promises to be an exciting one! With both in-form players going up against each other, we can expect a really intense tennis match.
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