Canada’s Leylah Fernandez is out of the Hong Kong Open tennis tournament following a 6-4, 6-2 semifinal loss to top-seeded Diana Shnaider of Russia on Saturday.
Fernandez, the tournament’s third seed, recorded two aces and four double faults.
She also won only 54.3 per cent of her first serves in a match that lasted 87 minutes on centre court at the Victoria Park Tennis Centre.
The 22-year-old from Laval, Que., converted two of three break points but saved only three of eight.
It was Fernandez’s first semifinal appearance since reaching the final of the Rothesay International in Eastbourne, England, in June.
Shnaider will take on second-seeded Katie Boulter of Britain in Sunday’s final.
WATCH | Fernandez falls at Hong Kong Open in semifinals:
Defending champion Leylah Fernandez’s (Laval, Que.) will not get a crack at winning back-to-back Hong Kong Open titles as she was defeated Saturday 6-4, 6-2 by Diana Shnaider in semifinal action.
Zverev beats former champion Rune at Paris Masters
Alexander Zverev reached the Paris Masters final for the second time after beating former champion Holger Rune 6-3, 7-6 (4) on Saturday.
Zverev, a runner-up here in 2020, next plays 2018 champion Karen Khachanov or 15th-seeded Frenchman Ugo Humbert.
Victory on Sunday would give Zverev a seventh Masters title and also move him past top-ranked Jannik Sinner for most wins on the ATP tour this year. They are tied on 65.
Despite a heavy schedule — this was his 85th match this year — Zverev went to practice afterward. It is a routine he is imposing on himself to close the gap on four-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz and Sinner, who has won two majors.
“It’s about improving a few things. I feel like Jannik and Carlos are doing a few things better than me at the moment,” Zverev said. “I feel like they are so aggressive. I think tennis is going towards that direction (and) I want to generally improve for next year as well.”
Although Zverev will overtake Alcaraz to move into second place in the ATP rankings next week, he feels he still needs more to become a major winner like them.
“For me Jannik has the best year this season and then Carlos had the second-best year. He won two Grand Slams,” said Zverev, the French Open runner-up. “I’m ahead of him in the rankings (soon) but he won Wimbledon and Roland Garros. Those are two massive titles. So they are still the two best players in the world, in my opinion.”
Rune saved one match point with a brilliant cross-court forehand winner, but the third-seeded Zverev held his nerve on the next with a crisp backhand volley at the net.
“I feel like I made it a little difficult for myself but he is a champion. It is probably his favourite tournament and favourite court,” the 27-year-old Zverev said. “I am happy to be in my second final here, I am looking forward to it.”
The big-serving German is bidding for his second title of the year and 23rd overall.
