Elena Rybakina Battles Past Katarzyna Kawa to Reach Ningbo Open Semifinals

Posted : 23 October 2026

World number one Elena Rybakina overcame a second-set setback to defeat Poland’s Katarzyna Kawa and book her place in the semifinals of the Ningbo Open in China on Friday.

The top-seeded Kazakh, who is also the defending champion, secured a 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 victory after a challenging contest against the world number 128. Rybakina dominated the opening set but struggled to maintain her momentum in the second as Kawa fought back to force a deciding set.

Kawa threatened to produce another upset after breaking Rybakina’s serve three times during a closely contested second set. However, the tournament favourite regained control in the decider, raising her level to close out the match and keep her title defence on track.

Rybakina will next face Russia’s sixth-seeded Diana Shnaider for a place in the final. Shnaider advanced to the last four after defeating American fourth seed Iva Jovic in three sets, winning 6-3, 4-6, 6-1.

The other semifinal will feature Canada’s Leylah Fernandez and Czech player Marie Bouzkova. Fernandez recovered from losing the opening set to beat Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova 4-6, 6-2, 6-1, while Bouzkova secured a straight-sets victory over compatriot Sara Bejlek, winning 6-3, 6-4.

Rybakina entered the tournament looking to maintain her position at the top of women’s tennis following a remarkable season. The 27-year-old claimed her third Grand Slam title at the US Open in September, a result that propelled her past Aryna Sabalenka to become world number one.

Her campaign in China has not been entirely straightforward, however. After suffering a surprise second-round defeat in Beijing earlier this month, Rybakina withdrew from the Wuhan Open because of a foot injury, leaving questions about her fitness ahead of her return to competition in Ningbo.

Despite those setbacks, she has continued her title defence and now stands two wins away from lifting the trophy again. Her ability to recover against Kawa will provide encouragement as she prepares for a difficult semifinal against Shnaider.

With a place in the final at stake, Rybakina will aim to build on her decisive third-set performance and maintain her momentum as the Ningbo Open approaches its conclusion.

Elena Rybakina Battles Past Katarzyna Kawa to Reach Ningbo Open Semifinals

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