“It clearly wasn’t the best tennis,” Leylah Fernandez said after causing the biggest upset of the ongoing Cincinnati Open. The Canadian sensation defeated the fourth seed, Elena Rybakina in a thrilling three-set match to enter the pre-quarterfinals of the tournament. Such have been the high standards set by her despite being just 21. As Fernandez looks to repeat her heroics from the 2021 US Open, where she reached the final, a promising campaign in Cincinnati will do her a world of good. In her path though, stands Diana Shnaider.

Fernandez will take on the Russian star, Shnaider, in the R16 match. In a clash between two young stars, expect a lot of action as the two fight it out on the court.

Diana Shnaider vs Leylah Fernandez: Preview

Shnaider has been in the form of her life, with title victories backed by consistent performances tournament after tournament. Last month, she won the Hungarian Open title, followed by a semifinal appearance at the Canadian Open. En route to her journey there, she defeated the likes of Coco Gauff and Liudmila Samsonova before losing against the eventual champion, Jessica Pegula.

Like the last two tournaments, Shnaider has dominated in the Cincinnati Open as well, thus far. The Russian sensation opened her campaign against Shuai Zhang, where she won in straight sets 6-1, 6-4. A similar comfortable win over Ashlyn Krueger followed in the second round. However, now Fernandez will prove to be a big challenge and Shnaider can’t take things for granted.

Fernandez has had an inconsistent form lately. After making it to the finals of the Eastbourne International, she suffered early exits from the Wimbledon Championships and the Canadian Open. However, she appears to have breathed that storm as she upset the fourth seed, Rybakina, in Cincinnati. Thus, she will be entering the R16 match high on confidence now.

Shnaider vs. Fernandez: Head-to-head

With just a year’s age gap, Shnaider and Fernandez could potentially be the top stars of the future. With an eye on that, the two would look to open their account on a positive note against each other. Shnaider and Fernandez have yet to play a match against each other, with the two still in the early stages of their careers.

Despite the Cincinnati Open pre-quarterfinal match being their first match against this opposition, it promises to be a thrilling encounter that can have some twists and turns.

Prediction: Shnaider to prevail in a thriller

Transitioning from one court to another can be challenging, but not if you are Diana Shnaider. After her Wimbledon campaign, she went on to win the Hungarian Open, followed by a semifinal appearance at the Canadian Open. On the contrary, Ferdendez has yet to find her groove, despite some big wins. Additionally, Shnaider is ranked 20th on the WTA rankings chart, which is six spots below that of Fernandez.

Shnaider is having a breakthrough 2024 season and has already won 3 titles. Playing consistently on the Tour this year, the Russian star won 40 of the 55 matches played. On the other hand, Fernandez has the ability to defeat any player on her day. However, a concerning fact is that she has lost 16 and won just 19 of the matches in 2024.

Interestingly, Shnaider doesn’t have a great record on hard courts. During her career, she has won just 2 out of the 5 matches played before the Cincinnati Open on hard courts this year. This will be of a big concern to Shnaider but with form on her side, the Russian star is predicted to win the match in three sets in a close match. Fans can enjoy the match from the Grandstand which will take place later today.