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Rybakina Edges Fernandez in Epic 3-Hour Match
17 Apr
Summary
- Leylah Fernandez lost a close quarterfinal match to Elena Rybakina.
- The match lasted three hours with two tiebreak sets.
- Rybakina advances to face Mirra Andreeva in the semifinals.
Leylah Fernandez's bid for the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix title concluded Friday as she was defeated by top seed Elena Rybakina in a dramatic quarterfinal encounter. The match, held on April 17, 2026, spanned three hours and saw Rybakina emerge victorious with a 7-6 (5), 6-4, 7-6 (6) scoreline.
The contest was a closely contested affair, highlighted by two tiebreak sets. The final-set tiebreak was particularly tense, tied six times before Rybakina secured the decisive points. Fernandez demonstrated strong performance on break points, converting 4 of 8 opportunities.
Rybakina, who finished with a 7-6 edge in aces, improved her career record against Fernandez to 3-2. She advances to the semifinals where she is scheduled to play against sixth seed Mirra Andreeva on Saturday, April 18, 2026.
