Three of the WTA’s top five seeds—Ekaterina Alexandrova, Elena Rybakina and Jasmine Paolini— powered through to the quarterfinals at the Ningbo Open in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, on the Chinese mainland. The showpiece event on the WTA Tour is showcasing a fierce blend of experience and up-and-coming talent.
Fourth seed Alexandrova kicked off the day with a commanding 6-3, 6-3 victory over home wildcard Yuan Yue. The 30-year-old Russian broke serve in her very first game and maintained pressure throughout both sets, avenging her first-round exit at the Paris Olympics. Up next, she’ll face rising American McCartney Kessler for a spot in the semis.
No. 3 seed Rybakina survived a scare against Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska, edging the match 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-3. World No. 9 squandered two match points in the second set before regrouping in the decider. Australian qualifier Ajla Tomljanovic stands between her and a semi-final berth.
Italy’s Paolini, the second seed, showcased consistency to dismiss Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova 6-2, 7-5. After building a 4-1 lead in the opener, she weathered a late surge in set two and closed out the match. Swiss sixth seed Belinda Bencic will test her momentum in the quarters.
As top seeds from Russia, Kazakhstan and Italy advance, the quarterfinals promise high-stakes clashes and a showcase of global talent. Which matchup are you most excited to watch as these competitors chase the Ningbo crown?
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Alexandrova, Rybakina and Paolini make quarterfinals at Ningbo Open
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