Fernandez fights back to reach Singapore Open final

Canada's Leylah Fernandez returns a shot against Poland's Maja Chwalinska during the WTA Singapore Open semifinal. | Photo Credit: AFP

Leylah Fernandez reached her first WTA final of the year after the Canadian recovered from a poor start to beat Poland’s Maja Chwalinska in the Singapore Tennis Open on Saturday.

The sixth seed dropped the first five games of the semifinal against her fifth-seeded opponent but came back strongly to win 1-6, 6-4, 6-2 to set up a final against unseeded Australian Talia Gibson on Sunday.

Gibson advanced to her first WTA final after her semifinal opponent Tatiana Prozorova was forced to withdraw from the tournament due to the WTA’s concussion protocol.

Fernandez was broken in all four of her service games in the opening set by fellow left-hander Chwalinska.

Galvanised by vocal support, the Canadian raised her game in the second set and earned a crucial break to take a 5-4 lead before holding serve to level the match.

The world number 31 then broke Chwalinska twice, and set up match point with an ace before firing a powerful backhand down the line to secure victory in two hours and eight minutes.

It will be Fernandez’s first WTA final since she won last year’s Japan Open.

The unseeded Prozorova stunned third seed Alexandrea Eala in the round of 16 on Thursday and then beat China’s Wang Xinyu in a gruelling three-set quarter-final the next day.

However, the Russian was struck in the face by the ball while playing in the doubles quarter-finals later on Friday.

Prozorova had to withdraw from that match and then had to sit out the singles semi-final after the WTA physiotherapist diagnosed her with concussion.

The WTA said players diagnosed with concussion cannot compete until they complete a graduated return-to-play protocol and receive medical clearance.