LEYLAH Fernandez moved on cusp of a successful title defense in Abierto GNP Seguros with an easy 6-1, 6-4 semifinal victory over Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia on Sunday in Monterrey, Mexico.
The Filipina-Canadian needed only one hour and 12 minutes to dispatch the Brazilian challenger on her way to a title showdown against Camila Osorio of Colombia.
Ms. Fernandez, the No. 2 seed, and the fifth-seeded Ms. Osorio duke it out for the Monterrey crown at 6:30 a.m. (Manila time) today.
It will be the first meeting for the two in the pro stage though they have already dueled in the juniors. Ms. Fernandez sports a 2-1 head-to-head upperhand after wins in the 2018 and 2019 Roland Garros junior championships.
In Mexico, they have traveled opposite paths with Ms. Fernandez, despite being a heavy favorite, encountering strong resistance against Chinese aces Qiang Wang and Qinwen Zheng in the Round of 16 and quarterfinals, respectively.
Ranked No. 21 in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), the 19-year-old Ms. Fernandez was pushed to the limit in both matches that fortunately paid off in the Final Four, where she was finally on target to complete a sweep victory.
The WTA No. 44 Ms. Osorio, on the other end, caught a big fish on her way to the championship round after pulling the rug from under No. 1 seed Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, 1-6, 7-5, 7-6 (5), in the quarterfinals.
The 20-year-old Ms. Osorio then swept Spain’s Nuria Parrizas-Diaz, 6-4, 6-4, to arrange a title match against Ms. Fernandez, who made a historic finals appearance in the US Open late last year. — John Bryan Ulanday