Madrid Open 2023: Leylah Fernandez suffers shock exit to 15-year-old sensation Mirra Andreeva, Elina Svitolina exits
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Updated 26/04/2023 at 21:51 GMT
Former US Open finalist and world No. 38 Leylah Fernandez suffered a shock first-round exit to Russian 15-year-old Mirra Andreeva on the opening day of main draw action at the Madrid Open. Andreeva, who won back-to-back tournaments ahead of her first WTA 1000 appearance in Spain, enjoyed a straight-sets victory. Elsewhere, Elina Svitolina fell to Aliaksandra Sasnovich on her return.
MADRID, SPAIN - APRIL 26: Mirra Andreeva of Russia in action against Leylah Fernandez of Canada during the Mutua Madrid Open 2023 celebrated at Caja Magica on March 26, 2023 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo By Oscar J. Barroso/Europa Press via Getty Images)
Image credit: Getty Images
There was a big shock on the opening day of the Madrid Open as 15-year-old Mirra Andreeva defeated former US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez to claim her first WTA main draw victory.
Andreeva stunned the Canadian by claiming a 6-3 6-4 triumph in one hour and 16 minutes to set up a second-round clash with 13th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia.
The Russian youngster arrived in the Spanish capital on the back of winning two straight ITF W60 titles in Chiasso and Bellinzona.
Her meeting with Fernandez marked a career first clash against a top 50 player, but the world No. 194 was unfazed by the occasion as she landed four aces, saved five out of six break points and broke the Canadian three times.
Andreeva became only the third 15-year-old ever to win a WTA 1000 match, after Coco Gauff and CiCi Bellis, and the second player of her age to defeat a top-50 opponent at this level, following Bellis' win over Zarina Diyas at the 2015 Miami Open.
The teenager’s pro record in 2023 is now 14-0 following her two wins in Switzerland and dream start in Madrid.
It continued a disappointing start to the season for world No. 38 Fernandez, who has failed to make it beyond the last 32 at any event since reaching the quarter-finals in Auckland at the start of January.
Elsewhere in the women’s draw, the big news for British tennis fans was Emma Raducanu’s withdrawal from the tournament hours before her first-round match due to a hand injury.
Former world No. 3 Elina Svitolina, making her first WTA 1000 appearance since maternity leave, fell to a 6-4 7-5 defeat to Aliaksandra Sasnovich.
There were wins for Tatjana Maria, Rebeka Masarova, Caity McNally, Arantxa Rus, Brenda Fruhvirtova, Camila Osorio, Xiyu Wang, Magdalena Frech and Nuria Parrizas Diaz, but Camila Giorgi was forced to retire against Mayar Sherif.
Top seed Iga Swiatek, who was given a bye through the first round, will begin her campaign against Julia Grabher, after the Austrian defeated Viktoriya Tomova in straight sets.
Marketa Vondruosova, Danka Kovinic, Eugenie Bouchard, Alycia Parks, Laura Siegemund, Lesia Tsurenko, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Irene Burillo Escorihuela, Jaqueline Cristian and Alize Cornet also safely made it through.
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