Angelique Kerber was knocked out by unseeded Leylah Fernandez in the fourth round as the US Open 2021 saw the men’s section progress without any major surprises.
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Angelique Kerber, the 16th seed and the 2016 US Open champion has been knocked out in the fourth round of the 2021 edition of the tournament. Kerber lost in three sets 6-4, 6-7 (5), 2-6 to unseeded Canadian Leylah Fernandez. The 19-year-old, who had beaten Naomi Osaka in the previous round, continued her giant-killing run in the tournament. Fernandez was trailing 2-4 in the second set after she had lost the first 4-6. But, in a show of grit and determination, Fernandez rallied and took the second set to a tie-breaker which she won. The third set saw Kerber committing plenty of errors as she lost 2-6.
Fernandez is making big waves in Tennis, having won the 2019 French Open girls singles title. Her first WTA title came in Monterrey in March 2021. She has already broken into the top 100 in the women’s ranking. Fernandez, who is predominantly a left-handed player, started off aggressively but committed some unforced errors.
She raced to a 4-2 lead, but Kerber bounced back in style to win the next four games on the trot. In the second set, all seemed lost for Fernandez. But the youngster turned the tables on Kerber, whose defensive game wilted under the assault. In the tie-break, Fernandez raced to a 5-1 lead but she was struggling to hold off Kerber. Despite the fightback, the German lost the second set.
The Canadian put on a tremendous show as she won the third set in clinical fashion to advance to the quarterfinal. She will face Elina Svitolina, who is also on a winning streak of her own. Svitolina defeated Simona Halep and it will be an interesting contest between these two stars.
Speaking after the end of the match, Fernandez remarked that she was having fun on the court. It was a realization of a dream where she saw herself playing in front of big crowds in major tournaments.
While the women’s section continues to see some major surprises, the men’s section has so far lived to the script
Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev all progressed into the next round of the US Open with some fabulous displays. Medvedev knocked out British Number One Dan Evans in three straight sets. Zverev, in his previous match, lost the first set to Jack Sock. But, he bounced back to win the next three sets. The German is bidding to derail Djokovic’s bid for a 21st Grand Slam and has been in tremendous form. With the exit of Stefanos Tsitsipas and Diego Schwartzman, the stage is set for either Zverev or Medvedev to break Novak Djokovic’s hot streak.
Zverev, who defeated Jack Sock in four tough sets, will face Jannik Sinner in the fourth round. Novak Djokovic, who is bidding to become the leading Grand Slam winner, had to overcome a tough challenge from Kei Nishikori as he entered the fourth round. Djokovic lost the first set in a tie-breaker but he bounced back to win the next three sets comfortably. The World Number One will take on Jenson Brooksby of the USA in the next round.
This edition of the US Open will see a new champion crowned as defending champion Dominic Thiem is out for the rest of the season due to a wrist injury. This has paved the way for Alexander Zverev, Medvedev, and Djokovic to ensure that they can create their own slice of history.
