NANCHANG, China — Leylah Fernandez's eight-match win streak came to an end on Saturday as she fell 7-5, 6-4 to Katerina Siniakova in the semifinal of the Jiangxi Open.
The meeting was a rematch of last week's Hong Kong Open, which Fernandez won in three sets to claim her first title in 19 months.
"I think it was a really tough battle," said Siniakova. "Last week (in Hong Kong) it was totally different conditions, and I think here it was a little bit slower, so it suits me more because she plays really fast and not stepping back. So I’m really excited I won."
Fernandez, of Laval, Que., had a 2-0 head-to-head record against Siniakova coming into the match.
Siniakova had three aces and capitalized on seven of 19 breakpoint opportunities to hand Fernandez her first-ever loss in a WTA semifinal. The 22-year-old had won all five of her previous semifinal appearances.
Siniakova will face third-seeded Marie Bouzkova in an all-Czech final on Sunday.
Fernandez was playing her third match in two days, as she had to play twice on Friday due to Thursday's wet weather in Nanchang.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on October 21, 2023.
The Canadian Press