OSAKA: Leylah Fernandez, the last remaining seeded player at the WTA’s Japan Open, has reached Sunday’s final after defeating 35-year-old Sorana Cirstea 6-1, 2-6, 6-4.

At 4-4 in the deciding set on Saturday, Fernandez broke Cirstea’s serve, then held her own serve in the next game to advance.

The fourth-seeded Canadian player will face 18-year-old qualifier Tereza Valentova in the final. Valentova beat Jaqueline Cristian 6-7 (3/7), 6-4, 6-3 in the other semi-final.

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

Published in Dawn, October 19th, 2025