Leylah Fernandez discloses how she became Taylor Townsend's doubles partner
Leylah Fernandez and Taylor Townsend seem to be doing well as a doubles pair.
The American-Canadian duo teamed up for the Sunshine Double and reached the Round of 16 at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells before losing to eventual champions Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova.
Fernandez and Townsend have impressed once again at the Miami Open, reaching the semifinals with a thrilling 2-6, 7-6(4) [10-8] win over third seeds Jelena Ostapenko and Lyudmyla Kichenok.
The pair spoke to Tennis Channel's Prakash Amritraj after the match and were asked about how they became a doubles team.
Fernandez disclosed that they first spoke in Australia before Townsend asked her during the Middle East swing if she wanted to team up for the tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami.
"I think we started talking in Australia. In Australia, we started talking, and then I think once the Middle East hit, Taylor asked me if we wanted to play for Indian Wells and Miami, and of course I said yes. Why would I say no to that question?" Leylah Fernandez said.
The 2021 US Open runner-up also said that teaming up with Townsend was a "great opportunity" to learn more about doubles and how to play with a left-hander.
"But, I think it's such a great opportunity for me to learn more about doubles and also learn, like how to be playing with a lefty. So, it was so, so nice to be sharing a court with Taylor. I'm learning a lot and I'm also having a lot of fun," Fernandez remarked.
Leylah Fernandez and Taylor Townsend to face Magda Linette and Bernarda Pera in Miami Open 2023 SF
Leylah Fernandez and Taylor Townsend will face Magda Linette and Bernarda Pera in the semifinals of the 2023 Miami Open. The Polish-American pair beat the Ukrainian-Romanian duo of Anhelina Kalinina and Irina-Camelia Begu to make the last four.
Fernandez and Townsend will be eager to win the women's doubles title in Miami after both suffered second-round eliminations in the singles event. The Canadian beat Lesia Tsurenko 6-4, 6-3 in the first round before losing 6-1, 6-1 to ninth seed Belinda Bencic.
Townsend ousted Anna Bondar 6-4, 6-0 in the opening round but lost 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 to Ekaterina Alexandrova in the second.