Rybakina dispatches Paolini to reach Ningbo final and boost WTA Finals bid

VIDEO SHOWS: HIGHLIGHTS FROM ELENA RYBAKINA V JASMINE PAOLINI SEMI-FINAL AT WTA NINGBO OPEN SHOWS: NINGBO, CHINA (OCTOBER 18, 2025) (WTA/DAZN – See restrictions) ELENA RYBAKINA (KAZAKHSTAN / WHITE DRESS) V JASMINE PAOLINI (ITALY / GREY TOP) 1. TOSS FIRST SET 2. JASMINE PAOLINI WINS POINT WITH BACKHAND LOB 3. ELENA RYBAKINA HITS BACKHAND WINNER / CROWD CHEERING 4. PAOLINI HITS FOREHAND WINNER / CROWD CHEERING  5. RYBAKINA TAKES SET AS PAOLINI NETS BACKHAND / CROWD REACTION SECOND SET 6. FOREHAND WINNER BY RYBAKINA 7. BACKHAND WINNER BY RYBAKINA 8. FOREHAND WINNER  BY RYBAKINA 9. RYBAKINA WINS MATCH AS PAOLINI’S BACKHAND GOES WIDE 10. RYBAKINA WALKING TO THE NET 11. PLAYERS MEET AT NET AND SHAKE HANDS WITH UMPIRE 12. RYBAKINA WAVING TO CROWD STORY: Kazakh third seed Elena Rybakina powered past Italy's Jasmine Paolini with a clinical 6-3 6-2 victory on Saturday (October 18) to secure her place in the Ningbo Open final, keeping her hopes of qualifying for next month's WTA Finals on track. The 2022 Wimbledon champion broke second-seeded Paolini for a 5-3 lead in the opening set before comfortably sealing it. The pair were locked at 2-2 in the second, but Rybakina shifted gears, breaking serve to lead 3-2 and claiming the next three games to wrap up the match in one hour and 29 minutes, during which the 26-year-old fired 10 aces and 30 winners. With her sights set on a 10th WTA Tour-level singles title, Rybakina on Sunday faces the winner of an all-Russian semi between Diana Shnaider and Ekaterina Alexandrova, which is being played later on Saturday. Despite the defeat, Paolini, who was runner-up at the French Open and Wimbledon last year, remains in the hunt for one of the two remaining spots at the WTA Finals. Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Amanda Anisimova, Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys have all qualified for the season-ending championship of the WTA Tour in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia which runs from November1-8. (Production: Bhagya Ayyavoo)

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