Maja Chwalińska has secured the first set in her WTA 500 semi-final against Leylah Fernandez in Singapore, according to live reports from Przegląd Sportowy. The Polish tennis player’s strong performance saw her take an early lead in the anticipated clash.

First Set Win for Chwalińska

The match, which marks the first official meeting between the two left-handed players, saw Chwalińska triumph in the opening set. Live updates from Przegląd Sportowy described moments including a short-lob action from Chwalińska at the start of the third segment, with her opponent countering into the net. Fernandez, increasingly frustrated, struggled with her shot placement at points, while Chwalińska established a two-break advantage during the set.

Both players had entered the semi-final without dropping a single set in the tournament. Piotr Szczypka, in an interview with Interia ahead of the match, commented on Chwalińska’s form, stating, “It’s not as bad as they wrote. People don’t understand it,” while also reportedly debunking a myth.

Road to the Semi-Finals

Chwalińska’s journey to this stage included a decisive victory over Elise Mertens, the tournament’s fourth seed and last year’s champion, winning 6-2, 6-2 in the quarter-finals. This marked her second career win against Mertens. During that match, Chwalińska demonstrated strong dominance, winning seven consecutive games at one point. Mertens later required a medical timeout, but Chwalińska continued her impressive run, responding to a brief recovery by Mertens with another break of serve. Earlier in the tournament, Chwalińska also defeated Rebecca Sramkova and Oleksandra Olijnykova, losing just one game in the latter match, as reported by SportoweFakty.

Her opponent, Leylah Fernandez, secured her semi-final spot by overcoming top seed Mirra Andreeva with a 2-6, 5-7 victory in her quarter-final. Andreeva had previously defeated Chwalińska in the Roland Garros final earlier this year, meaning there will be no final rematch in Singapore. Fernandez also reached the US Open final in 2021.

Tournament Context and Player Form

The Singapore Tennis Open is a WTA 500 tournament held on indoor hard courts, featuring a prize pool of $1.206 million. The semi-final match had been scheduled for Saturday, 26 September, not before 12:00 Polish time, according to Polsat Sport. This result for Chwalińska marks her best performance since reaching the Roland Garros final this year. Prior to Singapore, she had experienced a challenging period following the French Open, with early exits from tournaments including Wimbledon and the US Open, accumulating six losses in seven matches. Chwalińska is ranked 25th in the WTA, six places above Fernandez, who is ranked 31st.

FAQ

• Who is Maja Chwalińska playing in the Singapore semi-final?

  Maja Chwalińska is playing Leylah Fernandez from Canada in the semi-final of the WTA 500 tournament in Singapore.

• What was the result of the first set?

  Maja Chwalińska secured the first set against Leylah Fernandez.

• How did Chwalińska reach the semi-finals?

  She defeated Rebecca Sramkova, Oleksandra Olijnykova, and fourth seed Elise Mertens on her way to the semi-final.

• What is the prize money for the Singapore Tennis Open?

  The Singapore Tennis Open, a WTA 500 event, has a prize pool of $1.206 million.