Fernandez takes revenge on Mirra Andreeva to make Hong Kong quarters

At the age of 21, Leylah Fernandez

View Profile is hardly a veteran -- but the oldest player remaining in the top quarter of the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open draw used all her experience to advance to the last eight.

The Canadian's 3-6, 6-1, 6-3 win over Mirra Andreeva

View Profile , 16, reversed the result of their previous meeting in Madrid on clay five months ago. That had been Andreeva's first WTA victory, and a launchpad for her rapid ascent into the Top 50 this year.

For the first set of their rematch, the youngster appeared to have the measure of Fernandez again. Out-manoeuvring the 2021 US Open finalist with precise angles, Andreeva broke for 3-1 and maintained the lead, sealing the set with a fine forehand pass.

But Fernandez had come out with a different tactical approach -- a commitment to forecourt aggression and swarming the net whenever possible. That began to pay dividends in the second set, and the World No.60 was an increasingly dominant figure as she swept through 11 of the next 13 games. In total, Fernandez won 17 of her 27 net approaches, and fired 36 winners to Andreeva's 16.

Andreeva mustered some late resistance from 5-1 down in the decider, but it was too little, too late as Fernandez closed out the win with a pair of unreturnable serves. She advances to her fourth quarterfinal of the year.

"She's very tough to play against," said Fernandez afterwards. "I'm very happy with the way I fought and the way I found solutions. I wasn't afraid of going to the net even though I was missing a lot."

More Hong Kong highlights: Sorribes Tormo d. Wang Xinyu | Mertens d. Lansere | L.Fruhvirtova d. Korneeva

Fernandez will bid for her first tour-level semifinal since winning Monterrey 2022 against Linda Fruhvirtova

View Profile , 18, who triumphed in an all-teenage clash 6-3, 7-5 over 16-year-old qualifier Alina Korneeva

View Profile . It will be a first encounter between Fernandez and 2022 Chennai champion Fruhvirtova, who reached her third quarterfinal of the season.

Korneeva is the reigning Australian Open and Roland Garros junior champion, and a rematch of the Melbourne final in which she defeated Andreeva 6-7(2), 6-4, 7-5 was potentially on the cards. The World No.179 had impressed to reach the second round on her WTA main-draw debut, and came up with a series of fine winners as she stayed on the front foot against Fruhvirtova. But ultimately, the Czech's steadiness won through in 1 hour and 31 minutes.

Earlier, 2017 Hong Kong champion Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova

View Profile notched her third Top 20 win of the season to knock out No.2 seed Beatriz Haddad Maia

View Profile 7-5, 1-6, 6-1, and No.6 seed Martina Trevisan

View Profile came through a 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-3 lungbuster over Magdalena Frech

View Profile in 2 hours and 46 minutes.

Trevisan will face No.3 seed Elise Mertens

View Profile , who held off a late charge by qualifier Sofya Lansere to advance 6-3, 7-6(5).