Fernandez beats Rakhimova to reach Pan Pacific Open final

Canada’s Leylah Fernandez advanced to the final of the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo on Saturday after defeating Uzbekistan’s Kamilla Rakhimova 7-5, 6-3 in the semi-finals.

The victory sends Fernandez into her third WTA final of the year and gives her the chance to claim a second title of the season.

The Canadian, ranked 23rd in the world, recovered from an early break in both sets to overcome Rakhimova in one hour and 54 minutes.

Fernandez will face the winner of the second semi-final between third-seeded Diana Shnaider and Slovak teenager Mia Pohankova in Sunday’s final.

The Tokyo final continues a strong run for Fernandez during the Asian swing. She won the Singapore Open in September before reaching the final of the Ningbo Open in China, where she lost to world number one Elena Rybakina.

Fernandez’s route to the Tokyo semi-finals was also affected by Rybakina’s withdrawal from their scheduled quarter-final match on Friday due to a neck injury, handing the Canadian a walkover.

Rakhimova, ranked 66th in the world, had entered the main draw as a lucky loser after being eliminated during qualifying. However, she made an impressive run to the semi-finals and was seeking her first appearance in a WTA Tour final.

She made a strong start against Fernandez, breaking the Canadian early in the opening set. Fernandez responded with a break of her own before taking control to win the set 7-5.

A similar pattern emerged in the second set as Rakhimova again moved ahead with an early break, but Fernandez recovered and closed out the match 6-3.

The victory moves Fernandez one step closer to what would be her seventh WTA Tour title and caps another strong week for the Canadian in Tokyo.

The Pan Pacific Open is a WTA 500 tournament, with the final scheduled for Sunday.