Elena Rybakina said she was happy she beat Diana Shnaider in straight sets and also told Leylah Fernandez she would give her best in the Ningbo final.On Saturday, the top-ranked player won 6-3, 7-5 against Shnaider to make it two straight finals at the Chinese WTA 500 event.
Ningbo Open Final: Rybakina vs Fernandez – WTA 500 Showdown
The latest WTA 500 tournament in this Asian swing will come to an end with the Ningbo Open final set to take place.World number one Elena Rybakina is in her fourth WTA final of the year, looking to secure her fourth title in 2026.Her focus has been on regaining her best form ahead of the WTA Finals, and a successful title defense would be a perfect way to do so.Leylah Fernandez will be aiming to end Rybakina’s celebrations.The Singapore champion has beaten the Kazakh in two of their previous meetings but will face a tough challenge in this exciting final.Stay tuned for live updates
Thrilling contest between two played
It’s going to be an exciting match between Elena Rybakina and Leylah Fernandez, with the Ningbo Open trophy as the newest title up for grabs for these two experienced tennis players.
The final start?
It’s going to be an exciting match between Elena Rybakina and Leylah Fernandez, with the Ningbo Open trophy up for grabs as the latest title in their careers.Live updates will start at 17:00 local time (9:00 BST).
The singles final is scheduled for no earlier than 5:00 p.m.
local time (5:00 a.m.ET) on Saturday, October 24.It will take place after the doubles final, which is set for 2:30 p.m.local time (2:30 a.m.ET).
Rybakina and Fernandez get to the final?
Rybakina has spent significantly less time on court than Fernandez. After receiving a bye into the second round, her first match lasted just a half hour, as 
retired trailing 5-0 in the first set. Things got interesting in the quarterfinals, though, when she was pushed to a third set by qualifier 
. In the semifinal on Saturday, the relatively straightforward 6-3, 7-5 is a bit misleading.
I would say it’s a good performance. Maybe not the best tennis, a little bit of too many mistakes. But I mean it’s a semifinal, there’s a lot of nerves,” Fernandez said.
Ningbo title mean?
IIf Rybakina defeats Fernandez, she will become a two-time champion at this tournament, marking the second time in her career she has achieved this feat, having done so previously in Stuttgart earlier this year.This would be the first time she has won a tournament in consecutive years.It would also be her fourth title of the season and her 15th overall.Winning this title would be a significant step toward Rybakina securing the year-end No.1 ranking.
