Canadian Leylah Annie Fernandez eliminated in second round of Volvo Car Open

CHARLESTON, S.C. – Canada’s Leylah Annie Fernandez is out of the Volvo Car Open after losing 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 to Danka Kovinic of Montenegro in the second round on Wednesday.

The 18-year-old Fernandez, from Laval, Que., and Kovinic both struggled on serve with 13 combined breaks in the match at the WTA 500 clay-court event.

Fernandez, ranked 72nd in the world, lost seven service games, while the 91st-ranked Kovinic dropped six.

Fernandez captured her first career WTA Tour title last month in Mexico before losing her first-round qualifying match at the Miami Open.

The Volvo Car Open was the opening clay-court event of the season for Fernandez.

In doubles play, Ottawa’s Gabriela Dabrowski and American Asia Muhammad beat Croatia’s Darija Jurak and Slovenia’s Andreja Klepac 6-4, 3-6, 10-5 in the round of 16.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 7, 2021.