Canadian fifth seed Leylah Fernandez booked her place in the quarterfinals of the Nottingham Open on Wednesday with a confident 6-3, 6-4 win over Spain’s Cristina Bucsa. Fernandez, the 2021 US Open runner-up, controlled the first set with ease and remained composed through a more competitive second set to seal the straight-sets victory. Reflecting on the match, Fernandez praised her opponent’s fighting spirit and credited the home crowd for lifting her during key moments.
The 22-year-old Fernandez will next face Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska, who overcame a challenging three-set battle to defeat Croatian qualifier Antonia Ruzic 6-2, 2-6, 6-4. Meanwhile, Slovakia’s Rebecca Sramkova produced a determined comeback to eliminate fourth seed Yulia Putintseva 1-6, 6-4, 6-4. Putintseva had hoped to avenge her recent Strasbourg Open loss to Sramkova but faltered after a dominant start.
Sramkova, who now celebrates her first tour-level grass-court quarterfinal appearance, will take on Czech seventh seed Linda Noskova in the next round. Noskova advanced comfortably with a 6-1, 6-3 win over British wildcard Francesca Jones, ending home hopes in the tournament. The upcoming quarterfinals promise a mix of rising stars and seasoned players as the field narrows in Nottingham.
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