Canadian tennis player Leylah Fernandez has finally managed to reach her first grand slam quarterfinal after she defeated German Angelique Kerber. Fernandez gained control of the match in the crucial third set by twice crashing Kerber, a former world No. 1, for a commanding 5-2 advantage.
Fernandez got to the fourth round with an amazing surprise victory over No. 3 seed and title holder Naomi Osaka. She managed to defeat Osaka 5-7, 7-6 (2), 6-4 on Friday to make progress to the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time.
The Canadian tennis player has disclosed that two factors lead her to the victory. One is being sure to enjoy her time on the court. The other is the backing of family, because her father, who is from Ecuador, her mother, who is Filipino Canadian, and her sisters have certainly kept the pleasure for her.
Furthermore, she stated that the credit for her success goes to her father and mother who really support her in the match. She revealed that they made sure to point out that “you can’t take things very seriously, you’ve got to be mature but at the same time just be a kid, let loose, have fun, eat chocolate when you want to, and just have fun, watch movies, go past your bedtime.”
Now Fernandez, who only once had been as far as the third round at a major tournament till now, will encounter No. 5 seed Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals. Fernandez is one of three teenagers to have made history in the US Open, attaining success over four-time Slam champion Osaka and three-time winner Kerber.