Top-ranked Rybakina avoids an upset against qualifier Kawa at Ningbo Open as Jovic beaten

Elena Rybakina, of Kazakhstan, hits a return to Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, of Spain, during the second round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

NINGBO, China — Top-ranked Elena Rybakina avoided a major upset as she was pushed to a deciding set by qualifier Katarzyna Kawa in the quarterfinals of the Ningbo Open on Friday.

Rybakina eventually made it through 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 to set up a semifinal meeting with Diana Shnaider and continue her Ningbo title defense.

The 128th-ranked Kawa was coming off a big upset win over Belinda Bencic and threatened another when she broke Rybakina’s serve three times in a back-and-forth second set.

Sixth-seeded Shnaider beat fourth-seeded American Iva Jovic 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 and will now bid to reach the Ningbo final again after she was runner-up in 2023.

In the other semifinal match, Leylah Fernandez will face Marie Bouzkova. Canada’s Fernandez won 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 against Ekaterina Alexandrova to reach her second tour semifinal of 2026. She won the Singapore title the last time she reached the final four. Bouzkova beat fellow Czech player Sara Bejlek 6-3, 6-4.

Earlier this week, Karolina Muchova secured the last spot at the season-ending WTA Finals after Marta Kostyuk retired in Ningbo with wrist pain and Iga Swiatek withdrew with a thigh injury.

___

The Associated Press