Japan Open Round-Up: Leylah Fernandez and 18-year-old Czech talent Tereza Valentova shine in reaching Quarter-Finals

Quarter-Finals are set at the Japan Open with Leylah Fernandez and 18-year-old Czech talent Tereza Valentova among the standouts through today to the latter stages.

Fernandez faces off against Rebecca Sramkova who saw off Ann Li earlier today. The Canadian defeated Dalma Galfi 6-1, 6-4 and given her love of winning titles this time of the year such as in Hong Kong, she has to be one of the favourites to scoop the title later this week.

Fernandez downed Galfi 6-1, 6-4 to reach the Quarter-Finals. The first set in particular was a masterclass from the former US Open finalist who broke twice en route to going 5-0 up with her opponent barely getting a point. She could've sealed it in a bagel set but her opponent managed to save set points and sealed a 5-1 deficit only to lose out in the next game 6-1.

The second was more of a war of attrition as Fernandez missed break chances early and wasn't afforded more. Until the back end of the set when the pressure finally tolled and she managed to seal it 6-4 having broken to go 5-4 up.

Elsewhere like alluded to Sramkova managed to see off Ann Li in what was a 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 win for the Slovak who like Fernandez seems to come alive in the latter half of the season and previously won Monastir and made multiple finals a year ago around the same point of the season. But it was Tereza Valentova who perhaps was the main star. The 18-year-old Czech ace who took down fellow rising star Alexandra Eala with consummate ease returned on Thursday to face off against Elise Mertens who had previously taken down Cristina Bucsa.

But it seems to be Valentova's week to shine as she won it 6-4, 6-1 emphatically in just over an hour with 83% of first serve points won as well as converting 4/6 break points. This in just over an hour as she set up a tie with Olga Danilovic next who saw off Ashlyn Krueger yesterday. So very much one of the tougher ties left on the schedule for Valentova who already had to come through qualifying.

Finally Marie Bouzkova was dumped out as Viktorija Golubic won in three sets sealing it in a deciding set tie-break 7-3 after winning the second 6-2. In typical WTA fashion, this came after Bouzkova had been soundly beaten in the first losing the opening set 6-1. But she managed to come back to win it in three.