Elena Rybakina powered into the Ningbo Open final with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Jasmine Paolini on Saturday that keeps her chances alive of qualifying for the WTA Finals.
Elena Rybakina powered into the Ningbo Open final with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Jasmine Paolini on Saturday that keeps her chances alive of qualifying for the WTA Finals. Paolini could have secured her ticket to next month’s season finale in Riyadh with success on Saturday. But the Italian’s defeat means the battle for the last two spots will be settled at next week’s Pan-Pacific Open in Tokyo, with Mirra Andreeva also still in contention. “I knew the match was going to be very tough,” said Rybakina, who improved her head-to-head record against Paolini to 3-3.
“Jasmine has played really well this season and she’s a really tough opponent, so I knew I would need to bring my best.
“I’m happy I stayed focused until the end and won it in straight sets.”
