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Match Details
Fixture: (8) Leylah Fernandez vs (LL) Moyuka Uchijima
Date: February 4, 2025
Tournament: Abu Dhabi Open 2025
Round: First Round (Round of 32)
Venue: Zayed Sports City International Tennis Centre, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Category: WTA 500
Surface: Hard (Outdoor)
Prize Money: $1,064,510
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports
Leylah Fernandez vs Moyuka Uchijima preview
Eighth seed Leylah Fernandez will square off against lucky loser Moyuka Uchijima in the first round of the Abu Dhabi Open 2025.
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Fernandez's first tournament of the season was the United Cup. She won her first group tie against Donna Vekic but lost to Coco Gauff after that, and bowed out with her team in the group stage. Despite being ranked No. 31, she had to go through the qualifying rounds of the Adelaide International due to the high entry cut-off.
Fernandez beat Jodie Burrage and Irina-Camelia Begu in straight sets to seal her main draw spot. She took on Ekaterina Alexandrova in the first round, and lost to her in three sets. She then advanced to the third round of the Australian Open for the first time, where she lost to Gauff for the second time this year.
Uchijima arrived in Abu Dhabi intending to book her place in the main draw. She beat Olivia Gadecki 7-5, 6-2 in the first round of qualifying, and then lost to Sonay Kartal in straight sets. However, a last-minute withdrawal opened up a lucky loser spot, and she was the beneficiary of it.
Leylah Fernandez vs Moyuka Uchijima head-to-head
This will be the first main draw meeting between the two at the WTA level, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0. However, they did cross paths once in the qualifying rounds of an ITF event back in 2019, and Fernandez came out on top on that occasion.
Leylah Fernandez vs Moyuka Uchijima odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Leylah Fernandez vs Moyuka Uchijima prediction
Both players have caught a lucky break in Abu Dhabi. Fernandez was initially drawn against Alexandrova in the first round. The Russian leads their rivalry 3-1, and had won their last three matches, including their duel in Adelaide last month. She also won the Linz Open over the past weekend.
An in-form Alexandrova could've knocked out Fernandez in the first round itself. However, after contesting the final in Linz on Sunday (February 2), the short turnaround would've been too much for her, and she decided to give the Abu Dhabi Open a miss. Her withdrawal opened up the way for Uchijima to sneak into the main draw as a lucky loser.
However, Uchijima, may not be able to capitalize on this break given that she has only one main draw win to her name this year. She has also never beaten a player ranked inside the top 30, and has lost all six of her previous matches against them in straight sets. She's unlikely to snap her losing skid against Fernandez given her current form.
Pick: Leylah Fernandez to win in straight sets.
