Fernandez beats Siniakova to win Hong Kong, first title of season

Canada’s Leylah Fernandez came from a set down to defeat Katerina Siniakova 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, clinching the victory and her first Hologic WTA Tour title of the 2023 season. This win marks Fernandez’s third career title and solidifies her return to the Top 50.

Having reached the US Open final two years ago, Fernandez entered the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open ranked No. 60. Throughout the tournament, she showcased her skill by defeating top players such as Victoria Azarenka, Mirra Andreeva, Linda Fruhvirtova, Anna Blinkova, and Siniakova. This victory comes as her first title since winning the 2022 Monterrey tournament.

“We have faced numerous challenges in the past couple of years,” Fernandez expressed. “My family, parents, coach, and performance coach have been unwavering in their support. Their motivation has fueled me to persevere, and now our hard work is paying off. Hopefully, we can continue moving in this positive direction.”

Breakdown of the Match: In the first set, Siniakova took advantage of Fernandez’s mistakes and secured two breaks to gain an early lead. The Czech player, who had previously won the Bad Homburg title, aimed for another victory against Fernandez but fell short.

In response to losing the first set, Fernandez dominated the second set with a 4-0 lead. Siniakova took a medical timeout off-court and returned with her left upper leg taped. Although Siniakova began to close the gap, Fernandez remained resilient.

Decisive Moment: Serving with a break advantage at 4-3 in the second set, Fernandez triumphed through a grueling game. The 10-deuce battle saw Fernandez saving six break points, while the Czech saved four game points. After emerging victorious from this mentally and emotionally challenging game, Fernandez wrapped up the set two games later.

“I recognized the importance of that game,” Fernandez reflected. “Katerina showcased an incredible match, hitting winners from various angles. It was tough for me, particularly from an emotional standpoint, to stay composed. At a certain point, I just needed to focus on the ball.”

In the first game of the final set, Siniakova stumbled at the net due to Fernandez’s skillful passing shot, resulting in an injury. The trainer swiftly attended to Siniakova, and after a short pause, she resumed play after taping her left leg. Despite Siniakova tactfully saving a break point, Fernandez remained composed and ultimately broke her serve.

However, Fernandez’s inconsistency with her first serve allowed Siniakova to break back and even the score at 3-3. After a series of exchanged breaks, Siniakova served at 4-4, but Fernandez saved a game point and secured the final break of the match.

This time, Fernandez confidently served out the match, culminating in her victory after an intense 2 hours and 49 minutes.

In the doubles category, the unseeded pair of Tang Qianhui and Tsao Chia Yi stunned the No.3 seeded duo of Oksana Kalashnikova and Aliaksandra Sasnovich in the final. The match concluded with a score of 7-5, 1-6 [11-9], granting Tang her second career title and Tsao’s first.