Elena Rybakina Clinches Spot in Ningbo Open Decider
The world number one defeated Diana Shnaider in the semifinal to secure a chance at her second consecutive title in China.
By Marco Graham ·
The road to the final in Ningbo proved more challenging than the defending champion perhaps expected.
Elena Rybakina secured her place in Sunday’s championship match on Friday. She defeated Diana Shnaider, who is ranked sixth in the world, with a score of 6-3 and 7-5. This victory positions the current world number one to win the trophy for the second time in a row.
Her upcoming opponent is Leylah Fernandez of Canada. The unseeded player earned her spot earlier in the day at the Yinzhou International Tennis Centre. She beat Czech player Marie Bouzkova using the exact same 6-3, 7-5 scoreline.
Rybakina arrived in the eastern Chinese city after a rough patch in her season. She suffered a significant loss in Beijing and later pulled out of the Wuhan event due to a foot injury. Against Shnaider, the 27-year-old three-time Grand Slam winner showed glimpses of her peak form, even if the process was uneven.
She started the first set with aggressive play, hitting powerful winners from deep in the court. However, a sudden drop in quality forced her to fight for the lead. She finally sealed the set after saving her eleventh set point. Rybakina described the contest as long and difficult, noting that she struggled to close out games despite playing well on her first ball.
The second set followed a similar trajectory. The Kazakh star continued to miss marks on her first serve but managed to win the crucial points. She broke serve to take a 4-3 lead. Shnaider responded by breaking Rybakina to love in the tenth game. Rybakina answered with big hitting to regain the lead before serving with confidence to finish the match.
The left-handed game of Shnaider presented specific technical challenges for the champion. Rybakina noted that facing left-handers is rare on the tour and often difficult. She admitted that switching patterns during rallies was an issue for her. Since Fernandez is also left-handed, the final will present a similar tactical puzzle.
After this match, Rybakina will move to Tokyo for the Pan Pacific Open next week. Following that, she will begin the defense of her WTA Finals title at Indian Wells on November 8. Regarding the prospect of back-to-back wins in Ningbo, she remained focused. She stated that it is never easy and that she intends to give her all in the final.
