Rybakina survives set point marathon to defend Ningbo crown

Elena Rybakina required 11 set points to close out the first set against Diana Shnaider. The world number one held her nerve to win 6-3, 7-5 in the semifinal at the Yinzhou International Tennis Centre. The victory puts the Australian Open and US Open champion in a position to claim the Ningbo Open title for the second consecutive year.

Her path to the top of the draw has not been smooth. Rybakina suffered a heavy loss in Beijing prior to this week. She then withdrew from the Wuhan event due to a foot injury. Her return to competitive action in Ningbo produced a mix of powerful winners and tactical adjustments.

The match against 13th-ranked Shnaider featured a specific challenge. The Russian player plays left-handed, a style that disrupted Rybakina’s rhythm during rallies. The defending champion acknowledged the difficulty of switching patterns against a lefty. She noted that while her returns were manageable, maintaining consistency in extended exchanges was a struggle.

Rybakina took an early lead in the first set with aggressive groundstrokes from deep in the court. A dip in form forced her to extend the set, but she converted the final point on her 11th opportunity. She described the sequence as a long battle on her own serve. She stated that she was playing the first balls well but could not close the game until the final moment.

The second set mirrored the first. Rybakina struggled with first-serve accuracy but broke serve to move ahead 4-3. Shnaider responded with a love break in the 10th game. The Kazakh-born player answered immediately with big hitting to regain the advantage. She then served with more confidence to seal the victory in straight sets.

Leylah Fernandez earned her place in Sunday’s final by defeating Marie Bouzkova 6-3, 7-5. The unseeded Canadian also plays left-handed, presenting a similar stylistic test for the world number one. Rybakina faces her compatriot in a match that will decide the tournament winner.

After the Ningbo Open, Rybakina is scheduled to play in the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo next week. She will then travel to Indian Wells to begin her defense of the WTA Finals title on November 8. The player said she will fight and give her all in the upcoming final.