Brief

Rybakina books Ningbo Open final against Fernandez after semifinal win

Rybakina overcame sixth seed Shnaider 6‑3, 7‑5 to meet unseeded Canadian Fernandez in Sunday's title match.

By Felo News Desk · Published Sat, 24 Oct 2026 21:11:11 GMT

World No.1 Elena Rybakina secured a place in the Ningbo Open final after beating Russian sixth seed Diana Shnaider 6-3, 7-5 in the semifinal on Saturday, Al Jazeera reported.

What happened

The match, played at the Yinzhou International Tennis Centre in Ningbo, China, saw Rybakina take an early lead with powerful winners and close out the first set on her 11th set point. In the second set she faced a brief dip in serve accuracy but regained control, breaking Shnaider to go up 4-3 before being broken back. Rybakina then broke again to lead 5-3, held serve and closed the set 7-5, advancing to the final.

What the report adds

Al Jazeera noted that Rybakina entered the tournament after a bruising defeat in Beijing and a foot injury that forced her out of the Wuhan Open. The outlet highlighted that the Canadian Leylah Fernandez, unseeded, reached her own semifinal by defeating Czech Marie Bouzkova with the same 6-3, 7-5 scoreline, setting up the Sunday final.

What was said

Rybakina said, "She [Shnaider] played really well, and it’s always difficult to play against left-handers. We don’t have so many on the tour," and added, "It was an important game, and it was a long one… so many opportunities, but I’m glad it went my way." She also remarked, "It’s never easy… I’ll try to do my best. I’m going to fight and give my all tomorrow," about the upcoming final.

How it came about

Rybakina, the defending Ningbo champion and Australian‑US Open winner, arrived in Ningbo after a recent loss in Beijing and a foot injury that kept her out of Wuhan. She will look to add a second consecutive Ningbo title before turning her attention to the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo and the WTA Finals at Indian Wells later in November.

Key facts

Elena Rybakina defeated Diana Shnaider 6-3, 7-5 in the Ningbo Open semifinal. (aljazeera.com)
The win sets up a final against unseeded Canadian Leylah Fernandez. (aljazeera.com)
Rybakina entered the tournament after a recent loss in Beijing and a foot injury that forced her out of Wuhan. (aljazeera.com)