Shnaider beats Fernandez to win Tokyo title

Russia’s Diana Shnaider won her first title of the year on Sunday with a hard-fought 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 victory over Canada’s Leylah Fernandez in the Pan Pacific Open final in Tokyo.

World number 13 Shnaider looked to be cruising to victory after winning the first set and taking a 4-0 lead in the second.

World number 23 Fernandez came back to win the second set, but Shnaider regained control to close out the match and pick up the sixth title of her career.

“It means definitely a lot,” she said on court after receiving the trophy.

“It’s a great achievement and a great finish to the season,” she added.

It was Shanider’s first title since Monterrey in August last year.

Fernandez went into the final with 16 wins in her previous 20 matches.

That run included victory at the Singapore Open in September and a runner-up finish at last week’s Ningbo Open in China behind world number one Elena Rybakina.

Fernandez struggled with her serve, double-faulting five times throughout the match and landing only half of her first serves in the first set.

She got it together when it mattered though, stunning Shnaider in the second set with some tenacious tennis to even the score at one set each.

Shnaider regained her composure as she returned for the final set, breaking Fernandez twice to leave herself serving for the match at 5-2.

She clinched the title on her first match point, celebrating with a calm pump of her fist.

Shnaider was appearing in her first final of the year after losing in the semi-finals four times before this week.