Leylah Fernandez's strong Osaka debut continues after the 23-year-old pulled off a third-set comeback to beat world No. 51 Sorana Cirstea 6-1 2-6 6-4 and reach the final.
The fourth-seeded Canadian got broken in the very first game of the match, but swiftly responded and still dominantly won the first set after collecting the next six games.
At the start of the second set, Fernandez missed out on two break points in the first game. That gave some momentum to Cirstea, who claimed back-to-back breaks in the sixth and eighth games to level the match to one set apiece.
After losing the second set, world No. 27 Fernandez found herself in more trouble after she went 1-3 down in the third set. Fortunately for the No. 4 seed, she found an escape route - managed to get the break back - and then break Cirstea again for a 5-4 lead before serving out for the match in the following game.
Who will be Fernandez's rival in the Osaka final?
For the title at the WTA 500 tournament in Osaka, the Canadian will battle against the winner of the match between Jaqueline Cristian and Tereza Valentova. For the 24-year-old, this will be her second final of the year. Previously, she made it all the way at the WTA 500 tournament in Washington in late July.
If Fernandez wins the final tomorrow, she won't only win her second title of the year, but also overtake 24th-ranked Victoria Mboko as the top-ranked Canadian female tennis player.
