A first career meeting between Leylah Fernandez and Caroline Wozniacki was, in many ways, the ultimate contest of youth and experience.
At age 21, Fernandez is building on her career with a sense of greater promise; Wozniacki, a former world No.1 and a wildcard entrant this Wimbledon, has returned to the tour with many history-making milestones already achieved.
If that made for an intriguing set of circumstances, so too did the court of their second-round match. After starting on Court 12 in the early evening, it ended under lights on the No.1 Court after 10pm – with Wozniacki saving two match points to emerge with a 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 win.
It points to the remarkable form that Wozniacki is rediscovering in her comeback to the tour.
Having retired in 2020 and subsequently become a mother to two young children – three-year-old daughter Olivia and two-year-old son James – Wozniacki was adding another chapter to a story that started in Montreal last August and incorporated a fourth-round run at the US Open.
Wozniacki, who’ll turn 34 next week, understood that competing against Fernandez was no easy task. At age 19 in 2021, the highly competitive Canadian was runner-up to Emma Raducanu at the US Open. Her life-changing run at that tournament included three-set wins over Naomi Osaka, Angelique Kerber, Aryna Sabalenka and Elina Svitolina.
Despite the blazing start she’d made to her 14th Wimbledon campaign – limiting the powerful Alycia Parks to just two games in a swift first round match – Wozniacki therefore knew her day was far from over when she took the first set against Fernandez in 41 minutes.
The 30th-seeded Canadian arrived at The Championships having contested a first final on grass last week at Eastbourne and summoned that grass court form to claim the second set.
With six games played in the third set, the match was suspended due to bad light after an hour and 43 minutes. The unusual move to resume on the No.1 Court, at 9.45pm, was due in part to the inclement weather forecast at SW19 on Friday.
Fernandez responded superbly to the contrasting conditions – contested under lights and under a roof, with significantly less wind.
But while Fernandez was competing with customary fearlessness, Wozniacki’s renowned defence kicked in. Forced into error as she served at 4-5 in the third set, she saved two break points that were also match points.
Now ranked No.91, Wozniacki showcased the persistence that saw her claim 30 singles victories, including the 2018 Australian Open, before her three-year hiatus. A tense 11th game extended more than 10 minutes, with Wozniacki securing the pivotal break of serve on her sixth opportunity.
From there it was – at last – a straightforward victory, with the seasoned campaigner dropping only one more point as she served out the match.
“I think definitely my experience has helped me on days like today. I've been out here for a few years now,” Wozniacki laughed.
“It’s just, I think, also (that) I feel less pressure. You know, I'm just really enjoying myself enjoying the moment I get to play out here on these big courts in front of an amazing crowd. I mean, I just love it, you know, so I really don't take anything for granted.”
The returning favourite will need all that spirit in her next match against No.4 seed Elena Rybakina. “That's going to be a tough one,” she agreed with a smile. “But, you know, I got to serve well, I got to return well, l move well and do everything well.”
