Leylah Fernandez achieved the biggest victory of her career by defeating Anna Kalinskaya 6-1, 6-2 in the Washington Open final on Sunday.
Idman.biz, citing Reuters, reports that after a brief rain delay, Fernandez overcame the extreme humidity and a challenging semi-final that saw her nearly eliminated to capture her first WTA 500 title since her last final appearance over a year ago.
Fernandez took control early, breaking Kalinskaya’s serve following a double fault and then breaking again with a sharp return winner. The Russian, ranked 48th in the world, appeared to struggle physically, allowing Fernandez to close the opening set in under 30 minutes.
Kalinskaya was unable to recover, dropping serve twice in the second set, while Fernandez remained composed throughout to secure the convincing win.
The 22-year-old Canadian will aim to carry this momentum into the upcoming Canadian Open in Montreal, where she will face Australia’s Maya Joant in the first round. Kalinskaya, meanwhile, continues to seek her first WTA title after another final defeat, facing American Ann Li next.
Idman.biz
