Hong Kong Open: staying focused the key for Leylah Fernandez as she beats Wang Xiyu
Canadian opens campaign with flawed display on centre court, while Belinda Bencic and Alexandra Eala also progress to the next round
The 2023 Prudential Hong Kong Open champion Leylah Fernandez got her tournament off to a winning start on Tuesday when she beat China’s Wang Xiyu in straight sets, 6-1, 6-4.
Fernandez, ranked world No 22, dispatched Wang in one hour and 25 minutes on centre court at the Victoria Park Tennis Stadium and said the evening’s match was a lesson in staying focused.
The 23-year-old Canadian was just one of a number of the tournament’s biggest names in action on Tuesday, with No 1 seed Belinda Bencic of Switzerland, Filipino star Alexandra Eala and Britain’s Katie Boulter all playing on centre court.
“I’m still trying to figure that out, how to not lose concentration in certain moments,” Fernandez said.
“I mean, it will happen. It’s very hard to keep the focus level super-high from the first point to the last point. But, you know, I was just pretty proud of myself that today, when it did happen, when I lost the break … that I stayed positive and calm.
“I was listening to my coach’s instructions and just kind of stayed in the present moment. So that’s what I was proud of, but I think maintaining focus for a full two hours is something that I need to work on.”