IN battling Elina Svitolina of Ukraine today, September 8 Philippine time, Leylah Fernandez should be brimming with confidence.
Why is that?
The Fil-Canadian phenom, turning 19 only last September 6, has already collected two of the tournament’s biggest scalps in her massive march to the quarterfinals of the US Open at Flushing Meadows in New York City.
After scoring scorching straight-set victories over Serbia’s Ana Konjuh (76-6-2) and Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi (7-5, 7-5) in the first two rounds, Fernandez dethroned defending champion and four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka of Japan, 5-7, 7-6, 6-4, in a huge upset no one ever expected except—listen to this—Fernandez herself.
“Belief is my No. 1 weapon coming here,” said Fernandez after the victory. “Before the match, I knew I was able to win.”
She also said she eats chocolate when things go awry.
Her belief is what carried Fernandez past her fourth round opponent, bucking another opening-set loss in bundling out 2016 US Open champion Angelique Kerber of Germany, 4-6, 7-6, 6-2.
Such impressive victories should boost Fernandez’s bid today against Svitolina, the Olympic bronze medalist in Tokyo 2020 who advanced by hammering out a straight-sets victory over two-time major champion Simona Halep of Romania, 6-3, 6-3.
But like Fernandez, ranked a mere 73rd, Svitolina, solidly seeded fifth, also carries a sterling resume of being in her second quarterfinal stint in the US Open and eighth quarters stint overall in the majors.
Svitolina, 26, also holds a 1-0 lead in her head-to-head duel with Fernandez, beating the 5-foot-6 lefty in the 2020 Monterrey quarters, 6-4, 7-5.
And while Fernandez has dropped two sets in her four-win run, Svitolina, known as a baseline beast, has yet to lose a set in the tournament. She is on a nine-match winning streak, including five in capturing the Chicago Open before heading to this year’s fourth and final major.
Despite her sudden stunning stature as a giant slayer, Fernandez remains the underdog against Svitolina, who lost to Serena Williams in the 2019 US Open semis.
But this early, the legendary Chris Evert sees a different picture.
“This is her tournament,” said Evert of Fernandez. “This is a Cinderella story for her.”
The nation can only hope Evert didn’t speak too soon. Otherwise, Fernandez might end up wolfing Hershey’s bars.
THAT’S IT Health protocols scrapped both the San Miguel Beer-Alaska and Meralco-Ginebra matches recently in the Philippine Basketball Association’s Pampanga basketball bubble. Vicious is the virus, indeed, that it had reduced to three the six-strong Philippine Team to the just-ended Paralympics in Tokyo. God have mercy.