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Match Details
Fixture: (CAN) Leylah Fernandez vs (CRO) Donna Vekic
Date: December 28, 2024
Tournament: United Cup 2025
Round: Group Stage
Venue: RAC Arena, Perth, Australia
Category: United Cup
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize Money: US$10,000,000
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN, RDS
Leylah Fernandez vs Donna Vekic preview
Canada's Leylah Fernandez will square off against Croatia's Donna Vekic in the 2025 United Cup group stage on Saturday, December 28.
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Fernandez's 2024 season was below par as she struggled with consistency. The Canadian failed to thread in two wins in a row until the French Open, with the Qatar Open being an exception. She reached the final of the Eastbourne International before succumbing to another dry spell on the tour from July to September.
Except for the China Open, Fernandez had a decent outing in the Asian swing as she reached the Japan Open quarterfinals and Hong Kong Open semifinals. Her best result across Grand Slam tournaments came at the clay court Major where she reached the third-round.
Vekic, meanwhile, had a similar start to the season. The Croatian's semifinal run at the Linz Open remained the only stand out campaign until mid-season. However, she was on the rise during the grass-court swing.
Vekic reached the final of the Bad Homburg Open before pulling off a scintillating run to the semifinals at Wimbledon. She lost to Jasmine Paolini in the semifinals after a hard fought three set encounter. The Croatian wrapped up her season at the Wuhan Open, where she suffered a second round loss to Yulia Putintseva.
Leylah Fernandez vs Donna Vekic head-to-head
This will be their first meeting on the tour. Hence, the head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.
Leylah Fernandez vs Donna Vekic odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Leylah Fernandez vs Donna Vekic prediction
Fernandez has been decently reliable when it comes to team events. The Canadian played a crucial role in taking her country to glory at the 2023 Billie Jean King Cup Finals. She has also displayed satisfactory performances in hard court tournaments this year, especially during the tail end of the season.
Vekic, on the other hand, has not been convincing on hard courts. Apart from the Linz Open, the Croatian's only decent campaign on hard surfaces came at the US Open, where she reached the fourth round. Vekic has not played a competitive match since October. This could also prove vital in Saturday's clash.
Given Fernandez's strong performance in team events and her advantage over Vekic on hardcourts, she is expected to secure a win for the Canadians.
Pick: Fernandez to win in three sets.
