Leylah Fernandez posts upset win over 12th-seeded Liudmila Samsonova at Qatar Open

Canadian Leylah Fernandez upset No. 12 seed Liudmila Samsonova 7-5, 7-6 (4) in first-round action of the Qatar TotalEnergies Open on Monday in Doha.

Fernandez staved off six of eight break points to take down the Russian in two hours 10 minutes. Fernandez will face Spanish wild card Paula Badosa in the second round on Tuesday.

Badosa survived a charge from Ashlyn Krueger 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in a match that carried over from Sunday after being halted by rain. Badosa led 4-2 in the third when play resumed Monday.

Ukrainian Anhelina Kalinina made quick work of wild card and former U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu, 6-0, 7-6 (6) in 1 hour and 39 minutes.

WATCH | Fernandez earns straight-sets, 1st-round victory in Doha:

Leylah Fernandez upsets Liudmila Samsonova in her Doha debut

Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Que., upset number 12 seed Liudmila Samsonova 7-5, 7-6(4) to advance to the second round of the Qatar Open in Doha.

Great Britain’s Raducanu was done in by 48 unforced errors.

“I think I was struggling with everything like serve, return, forehand, backhand,” Raducanu said. “I think it was hard because she had a really good backhand so I think even if you went line you had to make sure it was a really good shot otherwise she’d kind of take you off cross.”

No. 16 seed Emma Navarro advanced with a 6-3, 7-5 win over Italian Jasmine Paolini.

In other action, Victoria Azarenka of Belarus advanced with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 win over Poland’s Magdalena Frech.

“She has a game style that makes you look like you’re not playing well,” Azarenka said. “I think I got caught a little bit in the second set with that. I was paying a bit too much attention to my mistakes. She’s getting a lot of balls in, putting a lot of different spins — with the wind, it’s not easy.

I’m very glad I was able to reset in the third set.”

Belgian Elise Mertens cruised past Peyton Stearns 6-2, 6-3 to advance to the second round.

Croatian Petra Martic outlasted Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (5) to advance.

Russian Anastasia Potapova advanced in straight sets over Martina Trevisan of Italy, 6-4, 6-4. Lucky loser Trevisan was a replacement for No. 9 seed Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic, who was forced to withdraw with a back injury.

Poland’s Magda Linette earned a 6-1, 6-4 win over Japan’s Nao Hibono.

WATCH | Fernandez ousted in 2nd round of Australian Open:

Canada’s Fernandez falls to American Parks in 2nd round of Australian Open

No. 32 seed Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Que., suffers a 7-5, 6-4 loss to American Alycia Parks, who’s ranked 82nd in the world, in the second round of the Australian Open.

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