Leylah Fernandez beat Anna Blinkova has advanced to the Final of Hong Kong Open 2023
Leylah Fernandez advanced to her first final in 19 months after a 6-2, 7-5 victory over fifth-seeded Anna Blinkova at the Hong Kong Open.
The 21-year-old Canadian raced through the first set before No. 37 Blinkova improved in the second set. Fernandez found the match-clinching break in the 12th game to seal the match in 78 minutes and advance to Sunday's final against Katerina Siniakova.
“This match was extremely tough,” Fernandez said. “Anna, she’s a tremendous player, very powerful, and she’s coming in with a lot of confidence. The first set I played well, the second set she started making more balls and being very aggressive. I just tried to stay calm. I remembered my coach’s words to me: this is a battle, just enjoy it, have fun and put on a show for everyone.”
Fernandez last played a final at Monterrey in March 2022, when she went on to win the title.
In the other semifinal, Siniakova eased past sixth-seeded Martina Trevisan 6-4, 6-2. Siniakova has four career titles, the most recent coming in July at Hamburg.
Fernandez beat Sinaikova in straight sets at the 2022 French Open in their only previous meeting.
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