Kamilla Rakhimova reached the semifinals of the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo on Friday, beating Australia’s Maya Joint 7-5, 5-7, 6-1 in a three-set quarterfinal. The result was reported by the Associated Press account carried by Europe Says and AAP News, and confirmed by Sportradar’s match listing, which gives the same sets. Rakhimova won a tight first set 7-5, before Joint rebounded to claim the second by the same scoreline, according to AAP News. Rakhimova then romped away in the final set to win 6-1, according to the same account, setting up a semifinal against Leylah Fernandez, according to the Associated Press account.
Joint’s brave run ends
Joint, ranked No. 94 in the world, according to AAP News, had been impressive in earlier wins over sixth-seeded Sorana Cirstea and Spain’s Cristina Bucsa to book her quarterfinal place, according to the same account. Her run in Tokyo, at a WTA 500 event, according to AAP News, was encouraging even in defeat, and the three-set scoreline shows she pushed Rakhimova hard. Joint took the honours on first serve, landing 66 per cent compared with Rakhimova’s 59 per cent, and serving five aces to Rakhimova’s one, according to AAP News. Those numbers underline how close the match was for two sets, before Rakhimova’s experience and consistency told in the decider.
Rakhimova’s decisive third set
A 6-1 final set, according to both the Associated Press account and Sportradar, is a clear statement. After splitting the first two sets 7-5 each, Rakhimova raised her level when it mattered most, while Joint could not sustain the serving performance that had kept her in the match. The WTA’s own social post, quoted by AAP News, described Rakhimova as into the Tokyo semifinals after defeating Joint 7-5, 5-7, 6-1. Rakhimova’s path to the quarterfinals included a deciding-tiebreak win over Ekaterina Alexandrova, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (5), according to Tennis Tonic’s Tokyo results listing. That earlier escape may have helped her in the quarterfinal, where she again had to recover after losing a set.
Semifinal test against Fernandez
Rakhimova now faces Fernandez, who reached the semifinals after world No. 1 Elena Rybakina withdrew, according to the Associated Press account. That semifinal pairs a player who won her way through on court against a player who advanced by walkover — a contrast that adds intrigue to the match. For Rakhimova, a place in a WTA 500 final is now within reach, and her Tokyo form suggests she will not give it up easily.
