Shnaider Survives Fernandez Fightback to Claim Sixth WTA Title in Tokyo

Diana Shnaider won the Tokyo Open final on November 1, beating Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 to claim the sixth WTA singles title of her career. The 22-year-old has now won each of her last six finals, and this one demanded considerably more resilience than its opening stages suggested. Shnaider took the first set and then let the final slip from her grasp once, leading the second set 4-0 and then 5-3, only to watch Fernandez turn it around with some splendid tennis and force a decider. Shnaider regrouped in the third set and closed out the match to complete an excellent Asian swing that had already taken her to the Wuhan quarter-finals and the Ningbo semi-finals. Her fighting qualities had already been tested earlier in the Tokyo week against Alexandra Eala in the quarter-finals and Mia Pohankova in the semi-finals. For Fernandez, the run to the final was still a significant step: three finals in five tournaments, a Singapore Open title and runner-up finishes in Ningbo and Tokyo have returned her to the world's top 20. Whether she competes at the Chennai Open in India next remains to be seen, but the Canadian leaves Tokyo with her ranking restored and her form firmly on the rise.