Rybakina Advances to Ningbo Open Final
Former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina ended a five-month wait to reach another final, following an impressive 6-3, 6-2 victory over Jasmine Paolini in the Ningbo Open semifinals. Rybakina, who connected 10 aces, was forced to save seven break points in an 89-minute match against Paolini, the second seed, in China.After falling short in the semifinals of the Citi Open, the Canadian Open, and the Cincinnati Masters in recent months, Rybakina will look to add the Ningbo Open title to the WTA 500 event she won on clay in Strasbourg on May 24. This victory keeps Rybakina’s hopes alive of reaching the season-ending WTA Finals, after Paolini missed the chance to secure her place in the Turin tournament with a win on Saturday. Ekaterina Alexandrova, who is in the top 10 for the first time in her career, will face Rybakina, the third seed, in the final, after defeating Diana Shnaider with a score of 6-3 and 6-4.I knew the match would be very tough. Jasmine has played very well this season. She is a very tough opponent, and I knew I would have to give my best. I am happy to have stayed focused until the end and to have won in straight sets.
Elena Rybakina
