By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, October 22, 2026
Photo credit: Screen Shot
Elena Rybakina launched her Ningbo singles title defense with a double triumph.
The top-seeded Rybakina held a 5-0 lead when qualifier Polina Kudermetova retired due to an apparent shoulder injury, sending the three-time Grand Slam champion into the Ningbo Open quarterfinals.
It was Rybakina’s 50th win of the season and her first as world No. 1. Rybakina raised her 2026 record to 50-14, joining Jessica Pegula and Mirra Andreeva as the third woman to post 50 victories this season.
The 27-year-old Rybakina rides a five-match Ningbo winning streak into a quarterfinal against Katarzyna Kawa.
The 128th-ranked Polish qualifier Kawa surprised Belinda Bencic 7-5, 6-2.
In her Ningbo main-draw debut, Kawa scored her first career Top 20 win to reach her second Tour-level quarterfinal, including her first Tour-level quarterfinal on hard court.
In an all-lefty clash of bold shotmakers, Diana Shnaider fended off Filipina phenom Alexandra Eala 7-5, 6-4, converting her seventh match point in a draining final game.
The sixth-seeded Shnaider served for the first set at 5-4 only to see Eala break. Shnaider broke back then served out the set on her third set point.
Though Eala withstood two break points for a 4-3 second-set lead, a determined Shnaider battled through three games in a row to advance to her seventh quarterfinal of the season.
The 2023 Ningbo finalist Shnaider is playing for her third semifinal at this 500-level event. Shnaider will face American Iva Jovic for a place in the final four.
The fourth-seeded Jovic stopped two-time Grand Slam finalist Jasmine Paolini, 6-4, 6-3.
It was Jovic’s 20th career Top 50 victory. World No. 12 Jovic improved to 42-19 on the season.