(Indian Wells) Quebecer Leylah Fernandez lost 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-1 to Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia in Indian Wells on Monday.
Fifth seed, Garcia has therefore earned her place in the round of 16, where Sorana Cirstea will be waiting for her.
Shortly after his 11th ace, Garcia made it happen with a parallel forehand that hit the line.
Ranked 49th in the WTA, Fernandez was the 30th seed at the California tournament.
Garcia had three breaks, including two in the final inning, for cushions of 3-1 and 5-1. The Lavalloise let slip the two break points she obtained.
Prior to the break giving him a 3-1 lead, Garcia had won the third game to nil, on serve. She also shut out Fernandez twice in the first set, including a break.
Fernandez and Garcia had met only once, resulting in Garcia’s victory earlier this year in Melbourne in the second round.
Last month and earlier in March, Garcia was beaten in the final in Lyon and Monterrey (by Alycia Parks and Donna Vekic).
Fernandez’s compatriot, Bianca Andreescu will have a heavy task in the evening, against the favorite and defending champion Iga Swiatek.
The Pole defeated the Ontarian last year in Rome, on clay.
Andreescu won the California tournament in 2019, the year she became queen of Flushing Meadows. She now sits 36th in the WTA.
On the men’s side, Quebec’s Félix Auger-Aliassime, seeded eighth, defeated Argentinian Francisco Cerundolo 7-5, 6-4.
He will face 17th seeded American Tommy Paul in the next round. The latter was the winner of the Pole Hubert Hurkacz 4-6, 6-2 and 6-4.
Stanislas Wawrinka, 100th in the world, joined the round of 16 in Indian Wells on Monday, imitated by defending champion Taylor Fritz, expeditious, as well as the winner of the last Wimbledon, Elena Rybakina.
Adrian Mannarino (68th in the world) was eliminated, beaten undeservedly 7-6 (9/7), 6-4 by Jannik Sinner (13th).
Britain’s Emma Raducanu (77th), crowned at the 2021 United States Open to everyone’s surprise, also qualified in forceps, 6-1, 2-6, 6-4, at the expense of Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia ( 13th).
The favorite Carlos Alcaraz will also be at work on Monday.
