AAP Tennis

Fernandez battles her way into Japan Open final

By AAP Newswire

Oct 18, 2025

Canadian Leylah Fernandez. — Canadian Leylah Fernandez has fought her way into the final of the Japan Open. -AP

Former US Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez will take on a qualifier in the final of the WTA's Japan Open tournament in Osaka.

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The last remaining seeded player in the event, Fernandez defeated 35-year-old Romanian Sorana Cirstea 6-1 2-6 6-4 on Saturday to advance to Sunday's final.

At 4-4 in the deciding, Fernandez broke Cirstea's serve, then held her own in the next game to advance to the decider.

The fourth-seeded Canadian faces 18-year-old Czech qualifier Tereza Valentova in Sunday's final.

Valentova beat another Romanian, Jaqueline Cristian, 6-7 (3-7) 6-4 6-3 in the other semi-final.

Cristian advanced to the last four when top-seeded local favourite Naomi Osaka pulled out with a left leg injury on Friday, giving the Romanian player a walkover in her quarter-final.

Fernandez, the 2021 US Open runner-up, advanced to her eighth career final.

Her only other run to a semi-final or better this season came at the WTA 500 DC Open, where she defeated Anna Kalinskaya in the final for her fourth WTA singles title.

Fernandez lost in three sets to American Coco Gauff in the second round of the China Open in late September.