Leylah Fernandez of Canada finally resolved Maria Sakkari.
Fernandez won for the first time in four professional matches against Greece’s Sakkari, winning 6-2, 6-0 in the second round of the China Open on Friday.
Fernandez, the 25th seed, has been playing since he lost to No. 1 seed and ultimate champion Aryna Sabalenka in the third round of the WTA Tour event in late August.
Sakkari, ranked 56th in the world, was also ousted in the third round of the final Grand Slam of the season. In the 2022 rankings, she ranked third in her career.
Fernandez turns her all five breakout points against Sakkari. She feasted on Sakkari’s second serve, winning over 63% of the points.
Fernandez, from Laval, Quebec, will next face the second-seeded Coco Gauff, who beat Russia’s Kamilla Rakhimova 6-4, 6-0 in the second round.
The Americans were a 2-0 life-long fight against Fernandez, winning all four games in a match held in Australia earlier this year.
Canada’s Victoria Mboko is the No. 21 seed, scheduled to face Anastasia Potapova in the second round on Saturday.
Mboko won the National Bank opening in Montreal in August and has not competed since losing in the first round of the U.S. Open.
