Canada’s Rebecca Marino gave her compatriot Leylah Annie Fernandez a real tennis lesson on Thursday at the tournament in Tampico, Mexico, defeating her in straight sets 6-3.
The Oldest, 72nd WTA hitter and 8th favorite needed just over an hour of play to defeat the 40th player in the world and third seeded.
Marino quickly showed the Quebecer that she would be taken seriously, winning the game’s first three games, including two by breaking them. Marino ended the set exactly as she started it with a break, she eventually having four in the first set alone. She also saw Fernandez grab her own serve once.
The second set was less spectacular as Marino got the only break in service en route to the semifinals.
Marino had quite the game on return of serve, winning half of 36 rallies after Fernandez put her first serve between the lines and also enjoying half of her 10 break points.
On serve, the winner made 21 of 29 substitutions in a first-ball situation and saved half of the break points offered to her rival.
In the semifinals, Marino will have another major challenge in Magda Linette, 55th player in the world and fifth seed. The two women also faced each other earlier in 2022, in September, in India. Linette won in straight sets 7-6(10), 6-3.
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