Fernandez and Kichenok faced a tough defeat in the Adelaide Open women’s doubles, losing to Giuliana Olmos and Desirae Krawczyk.
The Mexican-American duo, Giuliana and Desirae, defeated Fernandez and Kichenok 6-1, 6-4 in the recent Adelaide Open Women’s Doubles match.
This defeat was also more disappointing because it came a day after Fernandez lost a singles game. The back-to-back defeats have further added to the disappointment of the Canadian star.
Fernandez was defeated in her singles match at the Adelaide International tournament by the fifth-seeded Iga Swiatek, scoring 6-1, 6-2, on January 6, 2025.
Unfortunately, she struggled to find her rhythm against the formidable Swiatek despite her best efforts.
Her loss to Iga Swiatek followed just a day after her exhausting singles match against Coco Gauff at the United Cup on December 29, 2024. Chances are back-to-back matches might have taken a toll on her performance.
Fernandez and Kichenok Fall to Giuliana and Desirae 6-1, 6-4 in Adelaide Open Women’s Doubles, Despite Strong Efforts!
Leylah Annie Fernandez, a Canadian professional tennis player, and Nadiia Kichenok, a Ukrainian professional tennis player, have been active in recent tournaments.
Recently, the duo teamed up for the doubles competition in the Adelaide International.
A decorated player, Fernandez, has been working on expanding her game on the doubles circuit. On the other hand, Kichenok, a seasoned doubles player, brought her expertise to the partnership.
However, in a disappointing turn of events at the Adelaide Open on Monday, January 7, 2025, Fernandez and Kichenok were eliminated in the opening round of the women’s doubles competition.
In the match, they faced Giuliana Olmos and Desirae Krawczyk, the Mexican-American pair, at Memorial Drive Tennis Park.
The match went to Giuliana and Desirae’s victory at 6-1, 6-4. Meanwhile, the Canadian-Ukrainian duo Fernandez and Kichenok struggled to keep up with their opponents.
Guliana and Desirae dominated on defense and took 21 receiving points to Fernandez and Kichenok’s 11.
Superb win for Ekaterina Alexandrova who clinches her first win of 2025, beating Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 in the first round of the Adelaide International.
— WTARussians (@WTArussians) January 6, 2025
Good performance and a good chance for Katya this week to pick up some form as she defends semifinal points! pic.twitter.com/6BCGC3yHQz
Giuliana and Desirae also had a higher success rate on their serves, winning 75% of their points on the first serve and 79% on the second serve, compared to 61% and 47% for Fernandez and Kichenok.
Despite their very best efforts, the Canadian-Ukrainian tennis duo couldn’t break their opponent’s serve and saved only three of six break points. Neither of the duo served an ace or hit a double fault.
The encounter lasted just 73 minutes as Giuliana and Desirae won nine service games to five.
Nonetheless, Fernandez and Kichenok remain determined to rise again in future tournaments and keep improving their partnership in doubles.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Besides the Adelaide Open, Fernandez and Kichenok teamed up for the United Cup in Perth, Australia, in 2024, where they played a crucial role in Canada’s performance.
- Leylah’s father, Jorge Fernandez, is a former semi-professional soccer player from Ecuador. Her mother, Irene Exevea, is a Filipino-Canadian.
- The Canadian player Leylah has two younger sisters, Jodeci and Bianca, who are also tennis players.
- Nadiia Kichenok is engaged to Stas Khmarsky, a former tennis player and now coach of Jelena Ostapenko.
