Rybakina conquers Alexandrova 3-6, 6-0, 6-2 to win the Ningbo Open in China
Elena Rybakina, 2022 The Wimbledon champion was looking for form and her second title of the season. The twenty-six-year-old Kazakhstani reached a career-high ranking of #3 IN 2023 but fell into 10 during the summer hardcourt swing. Currently ranked 9th, the third seed followed her opponent 1-3 head to head.
Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia saw her ranking rise this season. The thirty-year-old has always been a fierce and fierce competitor. She had never entered the rarefied air of elite tennis.
After winning her fifth title in WTA 500 event in Linz earlier in the season, she made four semi-finals and two finals. As a result, in October 13th, she entered the top ten for the first time in her career. With the roof closed, the fourth seed won the stroke and elected to serve.
With a line-winning backhand, she held on 30. Rybakina, despite an ace on the ball, dropped serve after three unforced errors. Aleksandrova fought back, but after two more errors from Rybakina, she consolidated the break for 3-0.
Photo credit: Reuters
Rybakina did 3/5 first it is easy to serve and maintain 15 as Alexandrova worked, facing four deuces and two break points before holding. Rybakina served up a double fault, but with two incredible groundstroke winners 15 ABOUT 2-4.
Alexandrova opened the seventh with an incredible forehand winner and held 15 ABOUT 5-2 as Rybakina served with new balls, hit two aces in a row and held at love. Alexandrova served for the set and, with three powerful forehand winners, clinched it 6-3.
Rybakina left the court after the opening set. She served first in the second set and, with three straight winners 30while Alexandrova made four unforced errors, faced two deuces, three break points and dropped serve. Rybakina hit two winners, including her fourth ace, to consolidate the break 3-0.
Alexandrova, with waning energy and focus, made three unforced errors and broke serve. Rybakina responded like a Grand Slam champion with two aces in a row and easily held on 15 to consolidate the break for 5-0. Alexandrova, serving to stay the set, did 6/8 first serve, but accepted it with three additional fouls and left the court after it was over.
Rybakina opened the third with her seventh ace and held 15 as Alexandrova served new balls, she struggled with her opponent’s shot weight and court position. She faced four deuces, a break point and dropped serve after Rybakina hit a forehand volley.
Rybakina hit two more aces but faced two goals and a break point before holding out to consolidate the break, while Alexandrova 3/5 first serves and is held for him 15 ABOUT 1-3. Rybakina opened the fifth with her second double fault, but easily held on 15 with her ten ace.
Alexandrova served two back faults but held 30 ABOUT 2-4 with two winning arms. Rybakina hit her third double fault, the eleventh ace, and faced break points and deuces, but held for 5-2 with a fantastic inside forehand.
Alexandrova, serving to stay in the match, hit two incredible winners, including an ace out, but it was to no avail as Rybakina pressed a forehand down the line for match point and converted when Alexandrova missed out with a forehand.
It was a thrilling and competitive final. While both served well and hit the ball from both sides, Rybakina outplayed her opponent in almost every metric. She won 88% of the first, 42% of second serve points and saves 2/3 breakpoints during conversion 5/10. She was just as efficient when she returned, winning 42First % and 55% of second serve points. As each match ebbs and flows, the champions rise to the occasion under pressure, exploiting aggression by taking calculated risks.
In addition to winning her tenth career title, Rybakina has closed the gap in live competition with WTA The final in Riyadh. Currently ranked ninth, a semi-final appearance next week at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo would guarantee the final qualifying spot as Mirra Andreeva, currently ranked seventh, is not competing.
