Leylah Fernandez Advances to the Japan Open Final
OSAKA, Japan – The last seeded player at the WTA Japan Open, Leylah Fernandez, secured her place in Sunday’s final after defeating Sorana Cîrstea.
Fernandez, 21 years old, defeated Cirstea, 35 years old, with a score of 6-1, 2-6, 6-4.
In the decisive set, with the score at 4-4, Fernandez managed to break Cîrstea’s serve and then held his own serve in the following game to secure his advance.
The Canadian player, seeded number four, will face the young Tereza Valentova, 18 years old, who reached the final after overcoming the qualifying stage.
Valentova defeated Jaqueline Cristian with a score of 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-3 in the other semifinal.
Cristian had advanced to the semifinals after Naomi Osaka, the top seed, withdrew due to a left leg injury on Friday, granting the Romanian a direct pass to the semifinals.
Fernandez, runner-up of the 2021 US Open, reaches her eighth final of her career. Her only semifinal appearance this season was at the WTA 500 D.C. Open, where she won her fourth WTA singles title after defeating Anna Kalinskaya.
Fernandez was defeated in three sets by Coco Gauff in the second round of the China Open at the end of September.
