WASHINGTON — Canada’s Leylah Fernandez opened her title defence with a first-round victory at the D.C. Open on Monday.
Fernandez, the tournament’s seventh seed, downed Poland’s Magda Linette 6-1, 6-4, winning the match in one hour 19 minutes.
The 23-year-old from Laval, Que., captured the title at the WTA 500 hard-court event last year for the biggest tournament win of her career.
Fernandez ranks 34th in the world but has struggled to find a rhythm this year, posting a 13-19 record in singles.
On Monday, she hit two aces and converted five of nine break-point opportunities. Linette, meanwhile, capitalized on just one of three.
Fernandez will face the winner of a match between Alexandra Eala of the Philippines and Zheng Qinwen in the round of 16.