Rybakina needs third set to progress at Ningbo Open

VIDEO SHOWS: HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE NINGBO OPEN ROUND OF 16 SHOWS: NINGBO, CHINA (OCTOBER 16, 2025) (WTA/DAZN – See restrictions) DAYANA YASTREMSKA (UKRAINE / BLACK DRESS) V ELENA RYBAKINA (KAZAKHSTAN / WHITE DRESS) 1. RYBAKINA HITS FOREHAND WINNER IN FIRST SET 2. SET POINT – YASTREMSKA MISHITS RETURN AND RYBAKINA WINS FIRST SET / RYBAKINA WALKS BACK TOWARDS CHAIR 3. YASTREMSKA HITS BACKHAND WINNER DOWN THE LINE IN THE SECOND SET / YASTREMSKA CLENCHED FIST 4. SET POINT – RYBAKINA CANNOT RETURN YASTREMSKA FOREHAND AND YASTREMSKA WINS SECOND SET / YASTREMSKA CELEBRATES WITH FIST PUMP 5. RYBAKINA HITS FOREHAND SMASH TO WIN POINT IN THIRD SET 6. MATCH POINT – RYBAKINA SERVES ACE TO WIN THIRD SET AND THE MATCH / WALKS TOWARDS NET / PLAYERS SHAKE HANDS AT NET AND SHAKE HANDS WITH UMPIRE / RYBAKINA WAVES TO CROWD EKATERINA ALEXANDROVA (BLACK SKIRT) V YUE YUAN (CHINA / NAVY BLUE DRESS)  7. YUAN BACKHAND DROP SHOT IN FIRST SET 8. ALEXANDROVA FOREHAND WINNER / CROWD APPLAUSE 9. SET POINT – ALEXANDROVA ACE / WALKS TO CHAIR / ALEXANDROVA'S TEAM APPLAUD 10. ALEXANDROVA FOREHAND WINNER DOWN THE LINE IN SECOND SET 11. MATCH POINT –  YUAN MISHITS BACKHAND TO HAND ALEXANDROVA THE WIN / ALEXANDROVA FIRST PUMP AND WALK TOWARDS NET / PLAYERS EMBRACE AT NET AND SHAKE HANDS WITH UMPIRE / ALEXANDROVA WAVES TO CROWD JASMINE PAOLINI (ITALY / WHITE SKIRT) V VERONIKA KUDERMETOVA (BLUE DRESS) 12. FOREHAND WINNER BY VERONIKA KUDERMETOVA / KUDERMETOVA TEAM CHEERING 13. JASMINE PAOLINI WINS POINT WITH BACKHAND LOB / KUDERMETOVA REACTS 14. SET POINT – PAOLINI TAKES SET AS KUDERMETOVA'S BACKHAND GOES LONG / PAOLINI CELEBRATING / PAOLINI'S TEAM CHEERING 15. FOREHAND WINNER BY PAOLINI IN SECOND SET 16. KUDERMETOVA WINS POINT WITH OVERHEAD SMASH 17. MATCH POINT – PAOLINI WINS MATCH AS KUDERMETOVA DOUBLEFAULTS / PLAYERS MEET AT NET TO SHAKE HANDS AND SHAKE HANDS WITH UMPIRE / PAOLINI WAVING TO CROWD STORY: Elena Rybakina joined Ekaterina Alexandrova and Jasmine Paolini in the quarter-finals of the Ningbo Open after all won on centre court on Thursday (October 16). Third seed Rybakina needed a deciding set to beat Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska 6-4 6(6)-7 6-3, while second seed Jasmine Paolini had booked her place in the next round with a 6-2 7-5 victory over Veronika Kudermetova earlier in the day. Alexandrova was the most comfortable in victory, with four breaks of serve in her straight set defeat of Chinese veteran Yue Yuan, 6-3 6-3. The 30-year-old is ranked 10th in the world, and is the fourth seed in the tournament. The winners will be back in action on Friday (October 17) in the quarter-finals, with Paolini's match up against sixth seed Swiss Belinda Bencic looking like the pick of the ties. (Production: Bhagya Ayyavoo, Joseph Andrews)

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