[Singles Final]
○ Leylah Fernandez (CAN) 6-0, 5-7, 6-3 ● Tereza Valentova (CZE)
■It was Fernandez's early timing that troubled Valentova, who had made an impressive run from the qualifying rounds. While Valentova had hit consistently precise shots through the semifinals, she struggled to find her rhythm in the final. Fernandez’s style is to “stand close to the baseline, stay forward, and take the ball as early as possible” — an unusual approach in today’s power-dominated women’s tour. Early on, Valentova appeared unsettled by the pace at which the ball was coming back.
■In the second set, however, Valentova began landing sharper shots — forehand down-the-lines and sharply angled backhand cross-courts — more frequently near the lines. “She raised her level. I made more errors and my level dropped a bit,” Fernandez reflected. The match was pushed to a deciding third set, which Fernandez described as a real “battle.”
■Fernandez was the first to break serve in the final set, but after failing to convert three break points at 4-1 and then getting broken back at 4-2, the momentum shifted again. Valentova, who had been steadily climbing back, suddenly lost her consistency. Known for her ability to hit aggressive shots with precision, the toll of seven matches from qualifying may have started to show. Her rhythm faltered, and Fernandez seized two straight games to secure her second title of the season.
■Fernandez explained how she steadied herself late in the match:
“I tried to go back to basics — calm myself, listen to my coach. The most important thing was to keep my feet moving.” She smiled shyly, perhaps a bit embarrassed to say something as basic as “move your feet” — advice often given to beginners.
■But that fundamental skill proved to be Fernandez’s saving grace.
“She started attacking more, so I needed to keep moving and stay prepared,” she added. Fernandez’s weapons are her early timing including rising shots and her precise placement into difficult angles. Footwork is the foundation of both. In other words, it was essential both on offense and defense.
■After stopping the momentum of the surging Valentova, Fernandez bowed repeatedly to all corners of the crowd.
“I’ve been thinking all week that I wanted to bow after my matches, but I didn’t know how. Yesterday, I asked the staff to teach me,” she said. “Win or lose, I wanted to show my gratitude to the fans.”
With that graceful bow — a gesture she said captured Osaka’s “bright, happy, and positive atmosphere” — the tournament came to a close.
(Japan Tennis Association)
