Diana Shnaider Wins Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, Beats Fernandez in Three Sets

TOKYO: Diana Shnaider of Russia recovered from a second-set collapse to beat Canada’s Leylah Fernandez 6-4 5-7 6-2 on Sunday and claim the Pan Pacific Open title in Tokyo. The 22-year-old saved three break points early in the deciding set before completing a victory in two hours and 18 minutes. With the win, Shnaider extended her streak to six consecutive WTA tour finals won. She had looked in control in the opening set but had to regroup after Fernandez raised her level in the second. Shnaider made a strong start in the first set, using her serve and forehand to keep Fernandez under pressure. She took the set 6-4 and appeared to be moving toward a straightforward win. Fernandez, however, responded in the second set with more aggressive tennis and better returning. She put pressure on Shnaider’s serve, took the set 7-5 and forced the match into a decider. The third set began with Fernandez threatening to take control. She earned three break points early, but Shnaider saved all of them. Those points changed the momentum of the match. After holding serve, Shnaider settled into a rhythm, applied pressure on Fernandez’s serve and went on to take the set 6-2 and the title. “I want to say thanks to and congratulate my coach, who is here with me, for achieving our first title this season,” Shnaider said. “It definitely means a lot, a great achievement and great finish of this season.” Fernandez paid tribute to her opponent after the final. “I would like to congratulate Diana. Congratulations. An amazing week, a great match. Congratulations to you and your team. Hopefully we can have many more battles like this one,” said the Canadian, who won the Singapore Open in September. Fernandez was playing in her second straight final after losing to world number one Elena Rybakina at the Ningbo Open last week. Despite that defeat, she showed her resilience by reaching another final in Tokyo. Her second-set comeback demonstrated her fighting spirit and her ability to compete at the highest level. For Shnaider, the title is a significant achievement. At 22, she is establishing herself among the tour’s promising young players. Winning six straight WTA finals underlines her composure in decisive moments. Recovering from the loss of the second set to win the third also showed her ability to adapt during a match and handle pressure. The final lasted two hours and 18 minutes and demanded both physical and mental strength. Both players produced long baseline rallies and competed hard until the end. Shnaider’s ability to save break points early in the third set proved to be the key difference. Her calmness in important moments ultimately decided the match. In other tennis news, Carlos Alcaraz reached his first Vienna Open final. He will face Alex de Minaur after Alexander Zverev was upset. The result adds another interesting chapter to the men’s tour and sets up an intriguing final in Vienna.