MONTERREY, MEXICO -- Leylah Annie Fernandez has her first WTA title after defeating Swiss qualifier Viktorija Golubic 6-1, 6-4 in the Monterrey Open final Sunday.
The Canadian teenager needed 89 minutes to defeat Golubic in a match that featured two competitors who hadn't lost a set all tournament long.
But it was Fernandez who extended her streak at the expense of Golubic.
The native of Laval, Que., cruised to win the first five games of the opening set, facing little trouble from her opponent.
Golubic finally won her first game 31 minutes into the contest, but Fernandez would win the next point and the set.
Golubic won the first game of the second set, only for Fernandez to win the next two. But the 28-year old Golubic would then win the next two points to take her first lead of the set. Both players would trade points before a Fernandez winner would tie the second set at four.
Fernandez eventually won the break point, her fourth in five opportunities, before earning the chance to serve for the championship. The teenager would then close out the match on championship point.
The 18-year-old Fernandez lost her only other tournament final appearance, losing to Great Britain's Heather Watson in last year's Abierto Mexicano Telcel.
Fernandez will now rise to 69th in the world in the WTA rankings after Sunday's victory.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 21, 2021.
