Fernandez beats Bouzkova to reach Ningbo final

Shanghai witnessed a thrilling match between Leylah Fernandez and Marie Bouzkova at the Ningbo Open on Saturday. The Canadian tennis player, ranked 30th, emerged victorious, clinching the first set with a score of 6-3 and continuing her winning streak with a 7-5 final score. This triumph brings Fernandez one step closer to her second title within the span of two months.

She recently claimed her first title of the year in Singapore. Bouzkova, the 26th-ranked player from the Czech Republic, put up a strong fight but fell short. In her last three matches in Ningbo, Fernandez had to endure three sets each time. Early in the second set, Fernandez managed to break Bouzkova's serve, leading 2-0. However, Bouzkova fought back, resulting in a closely contested tie-break.

After enduring an arm-wrestle for the second set, Fernandez secured the win shortly before Bouzkova returned long, ultimately wrapping up the match in less than two hours. The top seed and defending champion, Elena Rybakina, will face Russia's Diana Shnaider in the other semi-final later on Saturday.