Leylah Fernandez booked her spot in the Washington Open final after a gruelling win over Elena Rybakina.
The 22-year-old won 6-7 (2-7) 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-3) in three hours and 16 minutes to set up a final against Emma Raducanu or Anna Kalinskaya.
Both players won their respective service games on their way to the tiebreak in the first set, but third-seed Rybakina secured the lead with her first set point.
Rybakina broke Fernandez's serve at the start of the second and had the chance to serve for the match at 5-4, but Fernandez broke back and went on to level the semi-final.
Fernandez then secured the win in the third tiebreak of the match after both players won their service games again in the third.
Data Debrief: More hard court glory on the cards for Fernandez
Fernandez was pushed to the limits by Rybakina in the semi-final, with the Kazakhstan player serving 17 aces in the match. Rybakina has served the most aces in the tournament this year, with 27.
Fernandez now has the opportunity to win her first WTA title since victory in Hong Kong in 2023. All three of her career WTA singles titles have come on hard court.
If Raducanu manages to reach the final, it will be the first time the two players have met since the 2021 US Open final. Both players were teenagers in the all-unseeded final, which Raducanu won.
