Canada's Leylah Fernandez advances to semifinal at Hong Kong Open

Canada's Leylah Fernandez is moving on to the semifinal of the Hong Kong Open following a 6-1, 7-6 (9) win over American Bernarda Pera on Friday. Fernandez of Canada hits a forehand to Ashlyn Krueger of the USA at the National Bank Open in Toronto on Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

HONG KONG — Canada's Leylah Fernandez is moving on to the semifinal of the Hong Kong Open following a 6-1, 7-6 (9) win over American Bernarda Pera on Friday.

Fernandez, the tournament's third seed, recorded eight aces and won 73 per cent of her first serves in a match that lasted 91 minutes on centre court at the Victoria Park Tennis Centre.

The Canadian converted three of six break points while the ninth-seeded Pera managed to convert just one of six.

Fernandez, of Laval, Que., will next meet top-seeded Diana Shnaider of Russia.

Shnaider beat unseeded Suzan Lamens of the Netherlands 6-0, 6-7, 6-2 in Friday's other quarterfinal.

It's Fernandez's first semifinal appearance since reaching the final of the Rothesay International in Eastbourne, England, in June.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 1, 2024.

The Canadian Press

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