Canada’s in-form Leylah Fernandez reaches Pan Pacific Open final in Tokyo | Tennis
Leylah Fernandez Advances to Tokyo Final After Comeback Victory
TOKYO—Canada’s Leylah Fernandez fought back from a break down in both sets to defeat Uzbekistan’s Kamilla Rakhimova 7-5, 6-3 in the semifinals of the WTA 500 Pan Pacific Open on Saturday. The victory secures Fernandez a spot in the tournament final, marking her third final appearance of the year.
Currently ranked 23rd in the world, Fernandez has been on an impressive streak during the Asian swing of the tour. She captured her first title of the season in Singapore last month and followed that with a runner-up finish at the Ningbo Open in China, where she lost to World No. 1 Elena Rybakina.
In the upcoming final, Fernandez will face either Russia’s Diana Shnaider or Slovakia’s Mia Pohankova as she aims for her seventh WTA Tour title.
Fernandez advanced to the semifinals after Rybakina withdrew from their match due to a neck injury, which came just a day after Rybakina secured her position as the year-end world No. 1.
Rakhimova, ranked 66th, entered the main draw as a lucky loser after being eliminated in qualifying. Despite her unexpected journey to the semifinals, she was unable to overcome Fernandez, who delivered a strong performance with nine aces.
In both sets, Fernandez recovered from an early break, eventually tipping the balance in her favor. The match concluded in just under two hours.
