Top seed Rybakina advances to Ningbo final

World number one Elena Rybakina is set to play in the final of the Ningbo Open.

The defending champion defeated sixth seed Diana Shnaider in the semifinal. The match ended with a score of 6-3, 7-5. Rybakina is now aiming for her second consecutive title at this event. This victory also serves as a statement to her competitors ahead of the upcoming WTA Finals.

Her next opponent will be unseeded Canadian Leylah Fernandez. Fernandez secured her place by beating Czech player Marie Bouzkova. The first semifinal ended with the same 6-3, 7-5 scoreline. The match took place at the Yinzhou International Tennis Centre in eastern China.

Rybakina arrived in Ningbo after a challenging period. She suffered a significant loss in Beijing and withdrew from Wuhan due to a foot injury. Against the 13th-ranked Shnaider, she displayed moments of excellent play. However, the match was not without difficulty. She started the first set with aggression and powerful shots. A dip in form required her to work hard to finish the set. She sealed it on her 11th set point. Rybakina noted that it was a long and important game where she struggled to close it out despite good opportunities.

The second set followed a similar pattern. The 27-year-old Grand Slam winner continued to face issues with her first serve accuracy. She won key points to take a 4-3 lead with a break. Shnaider then broke her serve to love in the 10th game. Rybakina responded with strong hitting to regain the lead in the next game. She served more confidently to finish the match. Shnaider's left-handed style presented specific challenges. Rybakina explained that playing against left-handers is always difficult and requires time to adjust to the different patterns in rallies.

Fernandez is also left-handed, presenting a similar test for Rybakina in the final. Rybakina plans to sharpen her game before moving to the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo next week. She will then begin defending her WTA Finals title at Indian Wells starting November 8. Regarding the chance to win back-to-back trophies, she remained measured. She stated that it is never easy and that she will fight and give her all in the final.