Fernandez and Valentova reach Japan Open final

VIDEO SHOWS: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SEMI-FINAL MATCHES AT THE WTA 250 JAPAN OPEN  SHOWS: OSAKA, JAPAN (OCTOBER 18, 2025) (WTA/DAZN – See restrictions) LEYLAH FERNANDEZ (CANADA/BLACK DRESS) V SORANA CIRSTEA (ROMANIA/ BLUE DRESS) 1. TOSS  FIRST SET  2. FERNANDEZ BREAKS THE SERVE AND WINS GAME POINT WITH FOREHAND WINNER  3. CIRSTEA GOES WIDE AND FERNANDEZ WINS FIRST SET 6-1/ FERNANDEZ WALKING SECOND SET  4. CIRSTEA WINS A POINT WITH FOREHAND WINNER/CIRSTEA WALKING  5. CIRSTEA BREAKS THE SERVE AND WINS SECOND SET 6-2/ CIRSTEA WALKING  THIRD SET  6. FERNANDEZ  BREAKS THE SERVE AND WINS GAME POINT/ FERNANDEZ CELEBRATING  7. CIRSTEA NETS THE BALL AND FERNANDEZ WINS  MATCH 6-1 2-6 6-4/ FERNANDEZ CELEBRATING/ CROWD CHEERING  8. FERNANDEZ SHAKING HANDS WITH CIRSTEA AND CHAIR UMPIRE  9. FERNANDEZ ACKNOWLEDGING THE CROWD  TEREZA VALENTOVA (CZECH REPUBLIC/ YELLOW TOP) V JAQUELINE CRISTIAN (ROMANIA/ GREY DRESS) 10. TOSS  FIRST SET 11. CRISTIAN WINS A POINT WITH FOREHAND WINNER/ CRISTIAN WALKING 12. VALENTOVA NETS THE BALL AND CRISTIAN WINS TIE-BREAKER POINT AND TAKES FIRST SET 7-6(3)/ CRISTIAN CELEBRATING AND WALKING SECOND SET  14. CRISTIAN WINS GAME POINT WITH BACKHAND WINNER  15. CRISTIAN NETS THE BALL AND VALENTOVA WINS SECOND SET 6-4/ VALENTOVA CLOSE-UP/ CRISTIAN WALKING  THIRD SET  16. VALENTOVA WINS GAME POINT WITH BACKHAND WINNER/ VALENTOVA CELEBRATING/ CROWD CHEERING  17. VALENTOVA BREAKS THE SERVE AND WINS MATCH 6-7(3) 6-4 6-3 18. VALENTOVA CELEBRATING  19. VALENTOVA AND CRISTIAN SHAKING HANDS WITH EACH OTHER AND CHAIR UMPIRE  20. VALENTOVA ACKNOWLEDGING THE CROWD  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 in Osaka where she will face 18-year-old qualifier Tereza Valentova  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 play Valentova on Sunday (October 19) after the Czech triumphed over Jaqueline Cristian 6-7(3) 6-4 6-3 in the other semi-final. Cristian reached the semi-finals after top-seeded Naomi Osaka withdrew with a left leg injury on Friday (October 17), granting the Romanian player a walkover in the quarter-final. Fernandez, runner-up at the 2021 U.S. Open, advanced to her eighth career final. Earlier this season, she reached the semi-finals 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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