Leylah Fernandez Advances to the Japan Open Final
Tennis player Leylah Fernandez, the last seeded player at the WTA Japan Open, has qualified for Sunday’s final after defeating Sorana Cîrstea.
Fernandez, of Canadian origin, defeated Cîrstea with a score of 6-1, 2-6 and 6-4.
In the decisive set, with a score of 4-4, Fernandez managed to break Cîrstea’s serve and then held his own serve in the next game to secure his advance to the final.
In the final, the fourth seed will face young Tereza Valentova, an 18-year-old player coming from the qualifying phase.
Valentova secured her place in the final after defeating Jaqueline Cristian with a score of 6-7 (3), 6-4 and 6-3 in the other semifinal.
Cristian had reached the semifinals thanks to the withdrawal of Naomi Osaka, the top seed, due to an injury to her left leg.
This will be the eighth final in Fernandez’s career, who was the runner-up at the US Open in 2021.
Her only other 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 suffered a three-set defeat to Coco Gauff in the second round of the China Open at the end of September.
