Elena Rybakina’s withdrawal sent 20-year-old Linda Noskova in the Toray Pan Pacific Open final on Sunday. She’ll face Belinda Bencic who came through a battle to defeat Sofia Kenin, 7-6(5) 3-6 6-2.
Bencic, bidding for her tenth career title on Sunday, returns to the Tokyo final ten years after she was a runner-up at the event, in 2015.
It has been a solid campaign for the Swiss, who started the season at 421 and was just commencing her return from maternity leave.
Noskova will bid for her second career title, in her third final of 2025 (also Prague and Beijing).
Noskova and Bencic have never played before on tour.