
Leylah Fernandez, a Canadian player with Filipino descent, pulled off the biggest upset victory in her young career after shocking defending champion Naomi Osaka in the US Open third round Friday (Saturday in Manila).
The 18-year-old Fernandez, whose father is Ecuadorian and her mother a Canadian born to Filipino parents, turned back the third-seeded Osaka, 5-7, 7-6 (2), 6-4, to advance to the fourth round against 16th seed Angelique Kerber.
This was the farthest Fernandez has gone in the Grand Slams after finishing in the third round of the 2020 French Open and the first round in the 2020 and 2021 Australian Open as well as the 2021 Wimbledon.
The left-handed Fernandez is coming off with triumphs over Croatia’s Ana Konjuh in the first round, 7-6 (3), 6-2, and Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi in the second round, 7-5, 7-5.
She is also competing in the women’s doubles where she and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand advanced to the second round with a 6-4, 6-2 win over United States’ Christina McHale and Mexico’s Giuliana Olmos.