Monterrey Open 2022: Leylah Fernandez vs Zheng Qinwen preview, head-to-head and prediction
Match Details
Fixture: (2) Leylah Fernandez vs Zheng Qinwen.
Tournament: Monterrey Open.
Date: 2 March 2022.
Round: Second round (Round of 16).
Venue: Monterrey, Mexico.
Category: WTA 250.
Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt.
Prize money: $235,238.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Leylah Fernandez vs Zheng Qinwen preview
Second seed Leylah Fernandez will take on Zheng Qinwen in the second round of the Monterrey Open on Wednesday.
The Canadian produced one of the fairytale runs of 2021 by reaching the final of the US Open but has not done anything of note so far this year.
Fernandez started 2022 at the Adelaide International 1 and reached the second round after beating Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-3, 6-4. However, she lost to fifth seed Iga Swiatek 6-1, 6-2. The teenager then entered the Australian Open as the 23rd seed but suffered a first-round exit at the hands of Maddison Inglis.
Fernandez is seeded second at the Monterrey Open and had a good start to the tournament, beating Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 6-2, 6-2 in the first round. She is also the defending champion at the tournament.
Leylah's Back!
Months before Leylah Fernandez became a grand slam finalist at the US Open, the Canadian took the title in Monterrey.
A year later, it's time to defend the crown!
Fernandez gets off to a strong start, defeating Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, 6-2, 6-2, in round 1. https://t.co/htlXKIKdZ2
Meanwhile, Zheng had a good start to 2022 by reaching the semifinals of the Melbourne Summer Set 1 after qualifying for the main draw. She beat Mai Hontama, former World No. 2 Vera Zvonareva and Ana Konjuh before losing to eventual champion Simona Halep.
The Chinese qualified for the main draw at the Australian Open and reached the second round by defeating Aliaksandra Sasnovich in three sets. However, she lost to fifth seed Maria Sakkari in her next match.
Zheng then competed in the ITF's Orlando USTA Pro Circuit event and won it by thrashing Christina McHale 6-0, 6-1 in the final. She then competed at the Abierto de Guadelajara as the eighth seed but suffered a first-round exit against Anna Kalinskaya.
The Chinese entered the Monterrey Open and reached the second round after beating Lucia Bronzetti 6-2, 6-3.
Well, we jinxed the hell out of Zheng Qinwen last week by talking her up so much. (Yes. We control the universe.)
So, we played it cool today and... Blammo! Big win.
The 19yo from China - who we think has a VERY big career ahead of her - cruises past Lucia Bronzetti, 6-3, 6-2. https://t.co/5C2T5EllVk
Leylah Fernandez vs Zheng Qinwen head-to-head
Wednesday's match in Monterrey will be the very first meeting between Fernandez and Zheng, so the head-to-head currently stands at 0-0. The winner of this contest will meet either Wang Qiang or Egypt's Mayar Sherif in the quarterfinals.
Leylah Fernandez vs Zheng Qinwen prediction
Fernandez has had a decent record on hardcourt over the past year, winning 23 out of 35 matches on the surface. However, Zheng is a promising youngster who is capable of rising up the ranks. Excluding qualifiers, she has won five out of eight matches on hardcourt this year.
Fernandez is a solid baseline player and will rely on her powerful forehand to do most of the damage. One aspect of her game that needs polishing is her volleying and that's an area Zheng might look to target.
The Chinese is a strong server and will look to get as many points as she can from her service games.
Zheng might put up a fight but Fernandez should be able to win and reach the quarterfinals in Monterrey.
Prediction: Leylah Fernandez to win in straight sets.