Former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina reached her first final in five months with an impressive 6-3, 6-2 victory over Jasmine Paolini in the Ningbo Open semifinals.
The third-seeded Rybakina fired 10 aces and saved all seven break points she faced to overcome the second-seeded Paolini in an 89-minute contest in China.
“I knew the match would be very tough,” Rybakina said. “Jasmine has played really well this season. She’s a really tough opponent, and I knew I would need to bring my best. I’m happy I stayed focused until the end and won in straight sets.”
The victory breaks a recent pattern for Rybakina, who had lost in the semifinal stage at the Citi Open, Canadian Open, and Cincinnati Masters. She will now seek her first title since winning on clay in Strasbourg on May 24.
The result also keeps Rybakina’s hopes alive for a spot in the season-ending WTA Finals. A win on Saturday would have sealed a place in the Turin tournament for Paolini.
In the final, Rybakina will face Ekaterina Alexandrova, who recently broke into the world’s top 10 for the first time. Alexandrova secured her place by defeating Diana Shnaider 6-3, 6-4.
Source link
