Hong Kong Tennis Open: Leylah Fernandez fights back to win first WTA title for 19 months in thrilling final
- A hit with spectators all week in Victoria Park, the 21-year-old Canadian, partly of Filipino heritage, beats Katerina Siniakova over three epic sets
- In doubles final, Tsao Chia-yi and Tang Qianhui thrill bumper Centre Court crowd with dramatic 7-5, 1-6, 11-9 victory after saving three match points
Leylah Fernandez battled through adversity to win her first title in 19 months in an epic Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open singles final on Sunday evening.
The 21-year-old Canadian – who is partly of Filipino heritage – came from a set down to beat Katerina Siniakova 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in front of a partisan crowd at Victoria Park Tennis Stadium, after two hours, 49 minutes on Centre Court.
It came after Tsao Chia-yi and Tang Qianhui also delighted the home crowd with a dramatic victory in the doubles final.
The 19-year-old Taiwanese Tsao – ranked No 352 in the world in doubles – and mainland Chinese partner Tang won 7-5, 1-6, 11-9 over Oksana Kalashnikova and Aliaksandra Sasnovich.
But while they were celebrating a maiden tournament success together, 2021 US Open finalist Fernandez was a winner for the first time since Monterrey in March 2022.
“I want to thank my team,” Fernandez said in her post-match speech on court, her voice cracking with emotion.