Ningbo Open 2026: Rybakina advances to quarterfinals on injury comeback; Eala loses to Shnaider
File Image: Elena Rybakina advanced to the Ningbo Open quarterfinals after Polina Kudermetova retired injured on Thursday. | Photo Credit: AP
File Image: Elena Rybakina advanced to the Ningbo Open quarterfinals after Polina Kudermetova retired injured on Thursday. | Photo Credit: AP
World No. 1 Elena Rybakina advanced to the Ningbo Open quarterfinals on Thursday after Uzbekistan’s Polina Kudermetova retired injured during their second-round encounter.
The top seed and defending champion was leading 5-0 in the opening set when Kudermetova, ranked 105th in the world, withdrew from the contest.
Rybakina, returning to competition after a foot injury forced her to miss the Wuhan Open earlier this month, will face Poland’s unseeded Katarzyna Kawa in the last eight.
The 27-year-old Kazakh claimed her third Grand Slam title at the US Open in September, becoming the World No. 1 after overtaking Aryna Sabalenka.
She subsequently suffered an early defeat in Beijing before withdrawing from Wuhan.
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Rybakina expressed disappointment over the premature conclusion of Thursday’s match but said she was pleased to return to Ningbo and hoped to finish the season strongly.
Meanwhile, the Philippines’ Alexandra Eala was eliminated after losing 5-7, 4-6 to Russia’s Diana Shnaider in the Round of 16.
Shnaider, ranked 13th in the world, secured the opening set in just over 50 minutes before overcoming a determined challenge from Eala in the second.
The Russian broke Eala’s serve in the ninth game to move 5-4 ahead before serving out the contest in one hour and 55 minutes.
Shnaider will next face American teenager Iva Jovic, who defeated two-time Grand Slam finalist Jasmine Paolini 6-4, 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals.
Published on Oct 22, 2026
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