Leylah Fernandez Advances to Quarter-Finals at Hong Kong Open

HONG KONG — Leylah Fernandez, the No. 2 seed from Canada, reached the quarter-finals of the WTA 250 Prudential Hong Kong Open after defeating Germany’s Eva Lys in straight sets on Wednesday. Fernandez won the match 6-4, 6-1, showcasing her strong form by facing only one break point during the 68-minute match.

With this victory, Fernandez continued her impressive record, claiming her eighth win in the last nine matches. She will next face Romania’s Sorana Cirstea, the tournament’s seventh seed, who also advanced after overcoming Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic in a tightly contested match that concluded with a score of 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Cirstea, currently ranked World No. 45, expressed her delight in continuing her career despite plans to retire at the end of the season. After winning her second career tour title in Cleveland in August, she noted, “The older I’ve got, the more joy I’ve found in my tennis. I wouldn’t be able to do what I do at my age if I didn’t have so much love for the sport.”

Another notable match included Australia’s No. 5 seed Maya Joint, who defeated Slovak qualifier Viktoria Morvayova 6-1, 6-4, advancing to her sixth quarter-final of the year. Spain’s Cristina Bucsa also pulled off an upset against Colombia’s Emiliana Arango, winning 6-2, 6-4, and making her way to the quarter-finals.

In a separate event at the Chennai Open, top seed Zeynep Sonmez of Turkey secured a 7-5, 6-4 win over Russian teenager Tatiana Prozorova. Fran Jones, the British No. 3, faced harsh conditions in Chennai and was forced to retire during her match against Japanese qualifier Mei Yamaguchi.

The intense heat has led to other retirements as well, including Maria Timofeeva and Nina Stojanovic. The ongoing competition continues to be challenging, but players like Cirstea and Fernandez are thriving in the current climate.