This victory marks the third time this year that Fernandez has reached a WTA final. She will now face third-seeded
Fernandez eyes second title of the season
The path to the final has been a mix of hard-fought victories and fortunate circumstances for Fernandez. Her semifinal win over Rakhimova followed a quarterfinal walkover on Friday, which occurred when top-ranked Elena Rybakina withdrew from the tournament. Rybakina had already secured the year-end No. 1 ranking following her second-round victory earlier in the week.
Fernandez enters Sunday's final with recent experience in high-stakes matches. In September, she claimed the Singapore Open title by defeating Talia Gibson in straight sets. Her momentum continued into last week at the Ningbo Open, where she reached the final before falling to Rybakina in straight sets. With another opportunity to lift a trophy, the Canadian will look to build on her recent form against Shnaider to conclude her Tokyo campaign on a high note.
