No trouble in doubles for Leylah Fernandez, who a day after winning her first round singles match, also triumphed in her first round doubles match alongside younger sister Bianca. Fernandez is coming back from an injury that has kept her out of the courts for over two months and is looking to get in shape before returning to the tournament that made her a household name – the US Open, where she reached the final last season.
The Fernandez sisters won their match 6-4, 6-1 against Spaniard Sara Sorribes Tormo and Belgian Kirsten Flipkens, and looked very comfortable doing so. It’s almost like playing with your sister, and regular training partner is an advantage. The two are now set to face Slovenian Andreja Klepač and Chilean Alexa Guarachi in the second round.
The duo got some good luck in the form of an Iga Świątek photobomb, which was posted by the WTA official Twitter account, not just because of how adorable it is, but also because when the World number 1 photobombs you, it’s a good omen.
Good performance aside, the most important thing about the match might just be that 13th-ranked Leylah Fernandez looked perfectly fit in her return from injury. Before the tournament, she’d referred to the fact that she was playing both singles and doubles as extra hours on the legs but had also expressed it was a good test of her fitness.
She passed with flying colors, which means she now has another two games to look forward to, one in singles against Beatriz Haddad Maia and one in doubles. The good news is that, at least in doubles, she’s got someone she knows she can count on right by her side.
