Tennis player Elena Rybakina, former Wimbledon champion, broke a five-month drought by reaching a new final, after a remarkable 6-3, 6-2 victory over Jasmine Paolini in the Ningbo Open semifinals.
Rybakina hit ten aces in a match that lasted 89 minutes, where she also had to defend seven break points against the second seed, Paolini, in China.
I knew the match would be very tough. Jasmine has played very well this season. She is a very difficult opponent, and I knew I would have to give my best. I am happy to have maintained concentration until the end and won in straight sets.
After failing to advance in the semifinals of the Citi Open, the Canadian Open, and the Cincinnati Masters in recent months, Rybakina will seek to add the Ningbo Open title to her record, following her victory at the WTA 500 clay event in Strasbourg on May 24.
This victory keeps Rybakina’s hopes alive of participating in the end-of-season WTA Finals, after Paolini lost the chance to secure her place in the Turin tournament with a win on Saturday.
Ekaterina Alexandrova, who is in the top 10 of her career for the first time, will face Rybakina, the third seed, in the final, after defeating Diana Shnaider with a score of 6-3, 6-4.
