Former U.S. Open finalist Leylah Fernandez got off to a blazing start against Varvara Gracheva and held on as the match tightened down the stretch to earn a 6-0, 3-6, 7-5 victory and a spot in the quarterfinals at the Pan Pacific Open on Wednesday.
“She was getting better and better as the match went on,” Fernandez said. “I tried to just stay positive as much as possible.”
Japanese teenager Sayaka Ishii also advanced, defeating Zeynep Sonmez 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, while No. 6 seed Diana Shnaider also moved on, defeating Viktoriya Tomova 6-2, 6-2.
“I’m so tired, but I’m so happy I was able to win,” Ishii said.
Ishii, the daughter of former NPB player Takuro Ishii, who is currently a coach for the Japan Series-bound Yokohama DeNA BayStars, earned her spot in the tournament through qualifying and recorded her first WTA Tour win on Tuesday.
“I’ve been trying to be strong mentally,” Ishii said. “That is the key to my game right now.”
Fernandez, the No. 8 seed, is looking for her first WTA title since winning in Hong Kong in 2023. The 35th-ranked Canadian reached her fifth quarterfinal of the season with her win over Gracheva.
She may find top-seeded Zheng Qinwen standing in her path in the next round. Zheng, the highest-ranked player in Tokyo at No. 7 in the world, will meet 57th-ranked Moyuka Uchijima, who will be trying to spring the upset in front of a home crowd, in her next match.
Zheng beat Fernandez 5-7, 6-3, 6-0 in the round of 16 at the Wuhan Open in China on Oct. 10.
Fernandez made quick work of Gracheva in the first set, starting the match with a break and never looking back before sealing the first set with a backhand winner.
The momentum the Canadian built, however, did not last long.
Gracheva held serve to open the second set, and the pair went back and forth over the first seven games. The unseeded Frenchwoman picked up her first break of the match when she lofted a shot toward the baseline that Fernandez hustled to reach. Gracheva smashed the return past her opponent to go ahead 5-3. She held serve to send the match to a third set.
Fernandez got an early break to go ahead 2-0 in the decider before Gracheva broke back and held serve to even the score.
Both players protected serve until Fernandez held to go ahead 6-5 and then converted her second match point in the ensuing game when Gracheva’s return landed out.
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