Leylah Fernandez Reaches First Grass Court Final at Eastbourne Tournament

Canadian tennis sensation Leylah Fernandez has secured her first grass court final at the prestigious Eastbourne tournament by defeating defending champion Madison Keys in a thrilling three-set match.

Fernandez’s victory over the fourth seed and incumbent champion, Keys, with a score of 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 marks a significant milestone in her career as she aims to make her mark on the grass court circuit.

The 21-year-old Canadian initially took the lead by claiming the first set, only for Keys to mount a resilient comeback to level the match.

In the deciding set, Fernandez swiftly surged ahead with a three-game lead. Despite the mounting pressure from Keys, Fernandez displayed remarkable composure, saving four break points in the final game to seal the victory.

Next, Fernandez is set to face Daria Kasatkina in the final, a player who like Fernandez, has yet to clinch a grass court title in her career.

This milestone represents Fernandez’s sixth career final and her first in a WTA 500 or higher tournament since her remarkable run to the US Open final in 2021.

Additionally, the Ontario-native Gabriela Dabrowski and her doubles partner, New Zealander Erin Routliffe, are poised to compete for the women’s doubles title at Eastbourne after overcoming the duo of Cristina Bucsa from Spain and Makoto Ninomiya from Japan.

Dabrowski and Routliffe, hailing from Caledon, Ontario, will battle against the winners of the other semifinal matchup featuring Harriet Dart and Maia Lumsden against the pair of Lyudmyla Kichenok and Jelena Ostapenko.