WTA 500 Ningbo Open QF: E. Rybakina [1] def. K. Kawa 6-1 3-6 6-1

posted by u/Academic-Pain1100 · 2026-10-23 13:58 UTC

Rybakina faces Shnaider in SF, leads H2H 2-0

## Top comments

1. u/minzwashere · 2026-10-23 13:58 UTC

Average Rybakina match

2. u/pizzainmyshoe · 2026-10-23 14:00 UTC

Rybakina has only played players outside the top 100 for her first three matches as world number 1 and it's been quite eventful.

3. u/Chet-Manlly · 2026-10-23 14:04 UTC

Oddly playing someone higher ranked may be more comfortable for her. Less pressure and she's familiar with their game

4. u/busanaffair · 2026-10-23 14:06 UTC

it sounds crazy but this year when she loses it’s literally almost always to players ranked way lower than her. she won against players like saba, andreeva, coco, iga…she peaks when she plays them and then flops to someone 80-120

5. u/mikeupsidedown · 2026-10-23 15:01 UTC

Yep she has a fantastic record against top 10 and top 20 this year and plays especially well against pace.

6. u/MaddoxX__ · 2026-10-23 14:03 UTC

I miss sabalenka as no 1 she used to destroy low ranks 2-0 with 0 sweat not make it seem like they were playing a top 20 ranked player Edit: downvoted for stating facts?

7. u/Signmetfup12 · 2026-10-23 14:12 UTC

What’s the correlation? Sabalenka can still happily and easily destroy lower ranked players than her while not being no 1.

Besides it’s been only like a month of Rybakina topping the rankings.

8. u/MaddoxX__ · 2026-10-23 14:24 UTC

Correlation is that, this is the difference between a legit no 1 vs a fraud no 1

9. u/recurnightmare · 2026-10-23 14:40 UTC

Difference between 0 slams in the calendar year vs 2 slams in the calendar year 🥰

Both times the fraud stomped the legit one in the slam final btw 🤣

10. u/canvascoloredin · 2026-10-23 16:09 UTC

I was only gonna bring up their H2H in slam finals this year, but glad to see someone make the comments I would have made better than me.

11. u/AppropriateRabbit8 · 2026-10-23 14:33 UTC

I mean sabalenka was #1 for most of this year and had losses to baptiste, cirstea, bejlek, alexandrova, etc. And how is rybakina a fraudulent #1? She won 2 slams + WTA finals in the past year, that's more than anyone else has done

12. u/Ok_Refuse3888 · 2026-10-23 13:59 UTC

Second set Rybakina is definitely a choice.

13. u/DYTHTYFHOATORTBO · 2026-10-23 14:00 UTC

Match against Shnaider will be interesting, she can’t afford to play like that second set again

14. u/AppropriateRabbit8 · 2026-10-23 14:00 UTC

The thing is, rybakina's form can vary hugely match by match. In stuttgart this year, she almost lost to fernandez but then ended up winning the tournament while beating andreeva and muchova in straight sets

15. u/aleztfu12 · 2026-10-23 14:20 UTC

Whenever Fernandez is on she has a real talent for making her opponents play poorly and Rybakina's no exception. Those defeats at Cincinnati 2024 and Washington 2025 against the Canadian lefty were really frustrating.

16. u/turkish_baguette · 2026-10-23 15:03 UTC

And she’ll probably be the one to beat in the final…

17. u/aleztfu12 · 2026-10-23 15:15 UTC

True. I'll be rooting hard for Bouzkova anyway. 😝

18. u/namelessoldier · 2026-10-23 16:25 UTC

Yes Leylah is certainly a threat to Elena .. but I think Leylahs style of play doesn't quite work against a steady Marie who dosent take alot of risks.

19. u/aleztfu12 · 2026-10-23 16:28 UTC

I hope you're right and Bouzkova takes Fernandez out. I'd rather not have Rybakina (assuming she gets past Shnaider) going into another tug-of-war with the Canadian.

20. u/mikeupsidedown · 2026-10-23 15:05 UTC

Yeah, I remember thinking she had no chance against Mirra and she absolutely bullied her. She also place better when she is getting some pace back at her which Diana will provide.