Leylah Fernandez, the sole seeded player left at the WTA’s Japan Open, secured her spot in the final by overcoming a tough challenge from veteran Sorana Cîrstea, with a final score of 6-1, 2-6, 6-4. In a tense moment during the deciding set, Fernandez broke Cîrstea’s serve at 4-4 and then held her own to clinch the victory and move forward.
Looking ahead, the fourth-seeded Canadian star will meet the rising 18-year-old qualifier Tereza Valentova in the final showdown. Valentova fought her way to the final by defeating Jaqueline Cristian in a thrilling match with sets of 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-3 in the semifinals.
Interestingly, Cristian’s journey to the semifinals was unexpected, as top-seeded Naomi Osaka had to withdraw due to a left leg injury, granting Cristian a walkover in the quarterfinals.
Fernandez, who was the runner-up at the 2021 U.S. Open, has now advanced to her eighth career final. Her most recent impressive performance was at the WTA 500 D.C. Open, where she claimed her fourth WTA singles title by defeating Anna Kalinskaya in the final. Despite a setback at the China Open in late September, where she lost to Coco Gauff in three sets, Fernandez remains a formidable force on the court.
