It was worth the wait for Canadian Leylah Fernandez.
Fernandez defeated Ukraine's Yuliia Starodubtseva 7-5, 6-4 in her first-round women's singles match Sunday at the Australian Open. The contest was interrupted by a rain delay Saturday with Fernandez leading 5-3 in the opening set.
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The 30th-seeded Fernandez, of Montreal, faces Spain's Cristina Bucsa in second-round action Tuesday.
Fernandez captured the first-round contest despite registering only two aces _ Starodubtseva had six _ and committing six double faults, two more than her opponent. But the Canadian did earn five breaks on 10 attempts while the Ukrainian converted on three-of-11 chances.
Canada's Rebecca Marino will play her first-round women's singles match Monday Britain's Katie Boulter on Monday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 12, 2025.
Correction
This article has been updated to correct the spelling of Katie Boulter's first name.
