Leylah Fernandez edged past unseeded Varvara Gracheva 6-0 3-6 7-5 to reach her fifth quarter final of the season at the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo.
Fernandez started the match with an early break and never looked back earning two more breaks in the third and fifth games. The 2021 US Open finalist served out a one-sided first set with a backhand winner in the sixth game. Both players held on serve in the first seven games of the second set. Gracheva earned her first break of the match to take a 5-3 lead and held serve in the next game to send to send the match to the third set.
Fernandez earned an early break at 15 in the second game to take a 2-0 lead before Gracheva broke straight back in the third game and held serve to level the score to 2-2. Both players held on their serve until the 12th game when Fernandez broke serve on her second match point when Gracheva’s return landed long.
Fernandez is aiming to win her first title since 2023 when she triumphed in Hong Kong.
Fernandez will face a quarter final clash against the winner of the match between Olympic champion and Zheng Qinwen and 57thranked Moyuka Uchiyama. Zheng beat Fernandez 5-7 6-3 6-0 in the round of 16 at the Wuhan Open on 10 October.
Japanese teenager Sayaka Ishii came back from one set down to beat Zeynep Sonmez 4-6 6-2 6-3. Ishii, the daughter of former NPB player Takuro Ishii, came through the qualifying round to score her first WTA Tour win. Number 6 seed Diana Schnaider cruised past Victoriya Tomova 6-2 6-2. Both players traded breaks twice in the first four games. Schnaider saved a break point to hold serve after three deuces for 3-2. The Russian player won the final three games with two breaks to seal the first set 6-2. Schnaider broke serve in the fourth game and held serve at 15 to open up a 4-1 lead. Tomova saved a break point to hold serve after five deuces for 2-4. Schnaider sealed the win with a break on her first match point.
