Leylah Fernandez battled through a scare from Alycia Parks before closing out a 6-4, 6-3 win on Wednesday, September 23, at the Singapore Open. The victory sends her into the quarterfinals, setting up a blockbuster rematch with top seed Mirra Andreeva.

The result also squared Fernandez’s head-to-head record with Parks at 2-2. It marked a turnaround from their last meeting — a tearful first-round exit at Roland-Garros earlier this year.

Fernandez Battles Back From Shaky Moments to Beat Parks

Fernandez raced out to a 5-1 lead in the first set before Parks mounted a surprising comeback bid. The American clawed back several games, forcing Fernandez to fight for every remaining point.

Fernandez steadied herself at the right moment, closing out the opening set 6-4 on her first set point. It was an early sign of the mental toughness she later credited for the win.

Parks broke serve early in the second set to lead 2-1, testing Fernandez’s composure once again. Fernandez answered right back, breaking serve before reeling off four of the next five games.

She closed out the match 6-3, sealing a straight-set victory despite Parks’ late push. The finish capped a rollercoaster performance that swung several times before settling in Fernandez’s favor.

Parks struggled throughout with a heavily taped right shoulder that clearly affected her delivery. She won just 45% of her first serves overall and finished with nine costly double faults.

Fernandez Sets Sights on Andreeva Rematch in Quarterfinals

Attention now turns to Fernandez’s quarterfinal clash with Andreeva, the tournament’s top seed. The two last met in Toronto weeks ago, where Fernandez won in straight sets, 6-1, 6-4.

Despite that recent success, Fernandez was careful not to lean too heavily on past results. She acknowledged that Andreeva presents a completely different challenge this time around.

“Of course I want to say I’m going to use our match in Toronto for confidence, but it’s another match, another day, another tournament,” Fernandez said. She added that Andreeva won’t make it easy.

Fernandez also pointed to her mental strength as the biggest factor behind Wednesday’s win. She said it felt sharper than in previous rounds, helping her stay composed under pressure.

She credited the energy of the home crowd for lifting her through tense stretches of the match. That support, she said, gave her a sense of calm during difficult moments on court.