Canada’s Leylah Fernandez came as close as you can to a major upset, but just couldn’t get it across the finish line as she lost to Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur in three sets at the Madrid Open.
Jabeur, the world No. 9 and eighth-seed in Madrid, would go down early to Fernandez, the world No. 35 and 32nd seed, losing the first three games before eventually winning the first set 7-5.
The Canadian would then dominate the second set 6-2 and seemingly snatch the momentum heading into the decisive third.
Fernandez kept her pace early on and held a 4-2 lead, but Jabeur would show her resilience, rallying four games in a row to stave off the upset and secure the win.
Jabeur will now take on Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko — the world No. 10 and ninth-seed at the tourney — in the Round of 16 as she looks to continue her eight-game unbeaten streak in Madrid after winning the tournament in 2022.
