Fernandez and Valentova reach Japan Open final

VIDEO SHOWS: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SEMI-FINAL MATCHES AT THE WTA 250 JAPAN OPEN  COMPLETE SHOTLIST TO FOLLOW  SHOWS: OSAKA, JAPAN (OCTOBER 18, 2025) (WTA/DAZN – See restrictions) STORY: Leylah Fernandez defeated Sorana Cirstea 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 on Saturday (October 18) to secure her place in the final of the WTA 250 Japan Open.  At 4-4 in the deciding set, the fourth-seeded Canadian broke Cirstea's serve before holding her own to seal the victory. Fernandez will face 18-year-old qualifier Tereza Valentova in the championship match after Valentova triumphed over Jaqueline Cristian 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-3 in the other semifinal. Cristian reached the semifinals after top-seeded Naomi Osaka withdrew with a left leg injury on Friday, granting the Romanian player a walkover in the quarterfinal. Fernandez, runner-up at the 2021 U.S. Open, advanced to her eighth career final. Earlier this season, she reached the semifinals at the WTA 500 DC Open, where she went on to claim her fourth WTA singles title by defeating Anna Kalinskaya. Most recently, Fernandez fell to Coco Gauff in three sets during the second round of the China Open in late September. (Production: Suramya Kaushik)

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