Leylah Fernandez overcame a late first-set deficit to defeat Rebecca Sramkova 7-6 (2), 6-3 in 1 hour and 34 minutes on Friday at the Kinoshita Group Japan Open in Osaka, advancing to the semifinals.
Osaka: Scores | Draws | Order of play
The No. 4 seed trailed by a break late in the first set but broke back to force a tiebreak, which she won decisively. She fell behind again early in the second set, down 2-0, but responded by winning four straight games to take control.
“When I was able to break back in the first set, that gave me momentum going into the tiebreaker,” Fernandez said after the match. “In the second set, she started strong and I knew it was going to happen, but I’m glad I stayed positive and continued putting pressure on her while enjoying the battle.”
Fernandez will face either Viktorija Golubic or Sorana Cirstea for a spot in the final.
Serving showcase: Fernandez won just three more total points than Sramkova (52-49), with both players refusing to give up many points on serve, especially in the first set.
Fernandez saved a break point in the opening game and didn’t face another until 5-5. Though she was broken then, she immediately broke back to force the tiebreak, where she came from a mini-break down to win it and further showcased her serving prowess.
She landed 68% of her first serves and won 67% of those points in the first set. She also won 54% of second-serve points and faced only two break points. She’d go on to face only one more break point in the second set. Sramkova placed 53% of her first serves in the first set, winning 72% of those points and 50% on her second serve.
Fast starts fuel success: Fernandez has now won the opening set in five of her past six matches, including all three in Osaka.
She’s 23-3 record this season when winning the first set, closing out 21 of those victories in straight sets.
One of those three losses came against Sramkova in Mexico in August. On Friday, Sramkova again threatened a comeback, saving three match points while trailing 5-3 in the second set, but Fernandez sealed the win with one final break.
What’s next: Friday’s match marked just the second meeting with Fernandez and Sramkova, leveling their head-to-head at 1-1.
Fernandez will next face either Golubic, whom she has defeated twice, or Cirstea, who would be a first-time foe. Her most recent win over Golubic came last year in Birmingham, where she rallied from a set down. She also beat Golubic in straight sets in Monterrey in 2021.
A win in the semifinals would send Fernandez to her second final of the season and first since capturing the title in Washington, D.C., in July.
AloJapan.com