Rybakina advances as Kudermetova retires
Elena Rybakina, the world number one, moved into the Ningbo Open quarter-finals on Thursday in her first match back from injury, after her opponent Polina Kudermetova retired. The top seed and defending champion led 5-0 in eastern China when Kudermetova, ranked 105th and representing Uzbekistan, stopped because of injury.[S1][S2][S3][S4][S6][S7]
The Moscow-born Kazakh player, 27, will next face Katarzyna Kawa of Poland, who is unseeded in the draw. Rybakina claimed her third Grand Slam title at the US Open in September, a result that also lifted her above Aryna Sabalenka to the top of the rankings in New York.[S1][S4][S7]
Her recent form had been uneven. She was eliminated in the second round in Beijing earlier this month, then withdrew from the Wuhan Open because of a foot problem. Reflecting on Thursday's match, Rybakina said she had not wanted the contest to end that way, acknowledged that she can still improve, and expressed pleasure at being back in Ningbo, where she hopes to close the year strongly and perform at her peak.[S1]
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Eala's run ended by Shnaider's power
Alexandra Eala, the 21-year-old who has become a trailblazer for Philippine tennis, was knocked out in the last 16, losing in straight sets to Diana Shnaider. The Russian world number 13, who is chasing a sixth WTA singles title, took the match 7-5, 6-4 and will meet the American teenager Iva Jovic in the quarter-finals.[S1][S5][S8]
Eala, ranked 20th, had beaten France's Diane Parry in straight sets in the previous round in Ningbo, but found Shnaider a much tougher opponent. The 22-year-old Russian used her greater power to claim the opening set in a little over 50 minutes, and although the second set was tighter, Shnaider pressured Eala's serve in the ninth game, broke for 5-4 and then held to close out the match in one hour and 55 minutes.[S1]
Eala had made history in August by becoming the first player from the Philippines to win a WTA title, and she is usually accompanied by a large following of supporters from her country. In the other last-16 match, the 18-year-old Jovic defeated Italy's Jasmine Paolini, a two-time Grand Slam finalist, 6-4, 6-3.[S1]
