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elena rybakina driven past Jasmine Paolini She booked her place in the Ningbo Open final with a clinical 6-3 6-2 victory, keeping alive her hopes of qualifying for next month’s event. wta finals On the track.
Will compete with 2022 Wimbledon champion Ekaterina Alexandrova In the final on Sunday, the Russian fourth seed defeated compatriot Diana Schnyder 6-3, 6-4 in the other semi-final.
Rybakina broke the serve of second seed Paolini in the opening set and took a 5-3 lead and then won the set easily. The pair were tied at 2-2 in the second, but Rybakina changed gears, breaking serve to take a 3-2 lead and winning the next three games to end the match in an hour and 29 minutes, during which the 26-year-old hit 10 aces and 30 winners.
“I knew the match would be very difficult,” Rybakina said after reaching her second final of the year. “Jasmin played really well this season. She is a really tough opponent. I knew I had to give my best. I am happy that I stayed focused till the end and I won it in straight sets. I am very excited. I will try to give my best (in the final). Let’s see what happens.”
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 qualified for the WTA Tour’s season-ending championships from Nov. 1-8 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Mira Andreeva has not yet confirmed her place, with Rybakina and Paolini competing with the 18-year-old for the last two spots at the tournament.
reuters