No. 2 seed Elena Rybakina delivered a clinical display in one of her most important matches of the season and routed 22nd-ranked Leylah Fernandez 6-4 6-3 in her opening Tokyo match.
Needing two wins in Tokyo to qualify for the WTA Finals, the 2022 Wimbledon champion earned the first break in the eighth game for a 5-3 lead but failed to serve out for the opener in the following game. However, the Kazakh tennis star still bagged the first set after breaking Fernandez again in the 10th game - when the Canadian was serving to stay in the opener.
Rybakina then continued with her fine play at the start of the second set, going 3-0 up. For the rest of the match, the 2022 Wimbledon champion just held on to her serve to complete a two-set win.
During the match, the No. 2 seed fired six aces and converted three of her four break points chances.
Rybakina gets her revenge over Rybakina in Tokyo
If you can recall, Rybakina was up by a set and led 5-3 in the second set of her Washington semifinal before Fernandez stunningly came back to win. Today, the Kazakh got her revenge.
Im feeling a bit tired of course but ready to make the last push. Very happy with the last week. Trying to bring everything from last week to here. Thank you so much for coming and supporting today," the Kazakh said after reaching the Tokyo quarterfinal.
For a place in the Tokyo semifinal but also to book the last WTA Finals ticket, Rybakina plays against Victoria Mboko.
