Former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina ended her five-month wait to reach another final with an impressive 6-3, 6-2 victory over Jasmine Paolini in the last four of the Ningbo Open.
Rybakina hit 10 aces but was forced to save seven break points during an 89-minute battle with second-seeded Paolini in China.
“I knew the match would be very tough,” Rybakina said. “Jasmine played very well this season. She is a very tough opponent and I knew I would have to do my best. I am happy that I stayed focused until the end and won in straight sets.”
After falling short in the semifinals of the Citi Open, Canadian Open and Cincinnati Masters in recent months, Rybakina hopes to add the Ningbo Open title to the WTA 500 event she won on clay in Strasbourg on May 24.
The win keeps Rybakina’s hopes of making the season-ending WTA Finals alive, after Paolini missed the chance to seal her place in the Turin tournament with victory on Saturday.
Ekaterina Alexandrova, ranked in the top 10 for the first time in her career, will face third-seeded Rybakina in the final after beating Diana Shnaider 6-3, 6-4.
PA contributed to this report.
