In a thrilling final at the Ningbo Open in Ningbo, on the Chinese mainland, Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina overcame a rough start to defeat Russia's Ekaterina Alexandrova 3-6, 6-0, 6-2 on Sunday.
The victory, Rybakina's 10th career title, came after she rebounded from a dominant first set by Alexandrova, who raced to a 4-1 lead before closing out the opener with a powerful forehand. Facing a fourth consecutive hard-court loss to her opponent, Rybakina flipped the script with precise cross-court winners, bageling Alexandrova in the second set to force a decider.
Building on that momentum, the World No. 9 broke early in the third set with a confident move to the net and powered through to seal the win. The triumph not only gives Rybakina her second title of the season but also puts her on the brink of qualifying for the season-ending WTA Finals.
With the title in Ningbo, Rybakina needs just a semifinal appearance at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo to secure the final spot in Riyadh, where tennis stars like Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff and others have already clinched their berths.
After the match, Rybakina praised Alexandrova's strong performance all week and thanked her team for their support during a demanding season. As she sets her sights on Tokyo, the 26-year-old is riding a wave of confidence into the final stretch of the campaign.
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Rybakina overcomes Alexandrova in final to claim title at Ningbo Open
cgtn.com
