World number one Elena Rybakina claimed her fourth title of the season with a dominant straight-sets victory of 6-2, 6-2 over Canada’s Leylah Fernandez in the Ningbo Open final.
As the top seed and defending champion, the Australian and US Open champion secured her 15th career WTA crown, significantly strengthening her position to secure the year-end number-one ranking. The victory followed her recent absence from the Wuhan Open due to a foot injury.
During the match, Rybakina established control in the opening set by breaking Fernandez’s serve and holding her own with a crosscourt backhand to take a 4-2 lead. She extended her advantage to 5-2 after putting constant pressure on her opponent, eventually closing out the first set to love in under 40 minutes.
Fernandez, aiming for her second title in consecutive months, fell behind early in the second set after being broken to give Rybakina a 2-1 lead. Although Fernandez attempted a comeback, Rybakina successfully defended two break points in the fourth game to maintain her momentum. Rybakina broke Fernandez’s serve once more to pull ahead 5-2 and clinched the championship on her first match point with a powerful forehand.
