Rybakina and Fernandez set up the Ningbo title match
Elena Rybakina defeated Diana Shnaider 6–3, 7–5 at the Ningbo Open in China on Saturday, October 24, to reach the final. She will face Leylah Fernandez, who beat Marie Bouzková by the same score in the other semifinal.
The top seed avoided the deciding set she had needed in the quarterfinals, when she overcame Katarzyna Kawa 6–1, 3–6, 6–1. Saturday’s result took Rybakina into her sixth final of the season and kept her bid for a second consecutive Ningbo title alive.
Shnaider had reached the last four after a three-set victory over Iva Jovic. Her run also included a 7–5, 6–4 win over Alexandra Eala in the round of 16, before Rybakina ended her tournament one match short of the final.
Fernandez’s route included a comeback against Ekaterina Alexandrova in the quarterfinals. Her straight-sets victory over Bouzková then completed the championship matchup, with both finalists finishing their semifinal assignments without a third set.
The WTA 500 event is played on outdoor hard courts at the Yinzhou Tennis Center. The singles final is scheduled for Sunday, October 25; China and the Philippines share the same time zone.
The remaining question is the title itself. Rybakina has returned to the championship match, while Fernandez’s progression through the other half of the draw has given her the opportunity to stop the defending champion.