Leylah Fernandez Advances to the Japan Open Final
The tennis player Leylah Fernandez, the last seeded player in the WTA Japan Open, has qualified for Sunday’s final. Fernandez defeated 35-year-old Sorana Cîrstea with a score of 6-1, 2-6, 6-4.
In the decisive set, with the score tied at 4-4, Fernandez managed to break Cîrstea’s serve. Then, he held his own serve in the next game, securing his advance to the final.
The Canadian player, seeded number four, will face the young Tereza Valentova, 18 years old and coming from the qualifying phase. Valentova defeated Jaqueline Cristian with a score of 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-3 in the other semifinal.
Cristian reached the semifinals after the top seed, Naomi Osaka, withdrew due to a left leg injury on Friday, giving the Romanian player a direct pass to the semifinals.
Fernandez, finalist of the 2021 US Open, reaches her eighth final in her career. Her only previous semifinal this season was at the WTA 500 D.C. Open, where she defeated Anna Kalinskaya in the final, obtaining her fourth WTA singles title.
Fernandez lost in three sets against Coco Gauff in the second round of the China Open at the end of September.
