Category: SPORTS

Elena Rybakina rallied from a set down to beat Russian fourth seed Ekaterina Alexandrova 3-6 6-0 6-2 and win the Ningbo Open title on Sunday, as her late surge to reach next month’s WTA Finals gained momentum.

A 10th career title for Rybakina means the Kazakh only has to reach the semi-finals of the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo this week to seal the last qualifying spot for the season finale at the expense of Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva, Reuters reported.

Others who have qualified for the WTA Finals, to be held in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh from November 1-8, are Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Amanda Anisimova, Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys and Jasmine Paolini.

“I’d like to congratulate Ekaterina for a great week and great season,” said Rybakina.

“It hasn’t been an easy year for all of us, a difficult schedule … thank you so much to my team for always pushing me to be better.

“The end of the season isn’t easy but without you I wouldn’t be here. Hopefully, we can push a little more this week (in Tokyo).”

Alexandrova made a flying start, racing 4-1 ahead as Rybakina struggled to rein in the errors and mix up her game, before the 30-year-old comfortably took the first set with a powerful forehand winner.

Desperate to prevent a fourth straight defeat by Alexandrova on hardcourts, Russian-born Rybakina came out firing in the next set, hitting a crosscourt winner to consolidate an early break and lay the platform to level the match.

World number nine Rybakina cranked up the intensity from the baseline in the deciding set, but it was a foray to the net that earned the 26-year-old another early break, and she went on to claim her second trophy of the season.

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Canada’s Leylah Fernandez won her second title of the year after beating Czech teenager Tereza Valentova 6-0, 5-7, 6-3 in the Japan Open final on Sunday.

Fernandez, the world number 27, followed up her victory at the DC Open in Washington in July with another tournament win after seeing off qualifier Valentova in Osaka.

It was the fifth title of the 23-year-old Fernandez’s career and the first time she has won twice in the same year.

Fernandez, playing with heavy strapping on her right thigh, cruised to the first set against her 18-year-old opponent, who is ranked 78 in the world and was appearing in her first WTA final.

Valentova looked shell-shocked at the changeover before the second set but she came out swinging and levelled the match.

Fernandez regained the upper hand in the third set, sealing victory when her opponent hit a service return into the net.

The Japan Open’s top seed, former world number one Naomi Osaka, pulled out ahead of her quarter-final after failing to recover from a leg injury.

Fernandez will compete in next week’s Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, where she will face fellow Canadian Victoria Mboko in the opening round.

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