Leylah Fernandez survived a difficult opening match at the Ningbo WTA 500 on Monday, October 19. The Canadian defeated seventh seed Elise Mertens 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 to reach the last 16.
The decisive turn came with Mertens leading the third set 5-3. Fernandez won the next four games, turning that deficit into a place in the second round and completing the match in two hours and 49 minutes.
A comeback in two stages
Fernandez first had to recover from losing the opening set, then overturn a deficit in the decider. None of the three sets required a tiebreak: her closing run took the final set from 3-5 to 7-5.
According to the WTA, the result levelled their head-to-head at two wins apiece. It was also the first meeting between the pair to go to three sets.
Sasnovich awaits in the last 16
Fernandez will face Aliaksandra Sasnovich next. The qualifier defeated Daria Kasatkina 6-4, 6-2 in the first round, as recorded in the official draw.
The tournament's general schedule places second-round matches on October 21 and 22. Played on hard courts in China, the event has its singles final scheduled for Sunday, October 25. The main draw features 28 players.
The embedded official highlights cover Mertens–Fernandez at Ningbo 2026 and were published by the WTA.
