Rybakina to meet Shnaider in Ningbo Open semi-final on October 24

Elena Rybakina, the defending champion, will play Diana Shnaider in a Ningbo Open semi-final at the Ningbo Tennis Center on October 24 (Saturday). Rybakina reached the last four after defeating Poland’s Katarzyna Kawa 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 in 1 hour, 45 minutes on Friday night.

Rybakina earlier progressed in the WTA 500 event when Polina Kudermetova retired at 5-0 in the opening set. Kawa, ranked 128th, had earlier upset Belinda Bencic and troubled Rybakina by breaking her serve three times in the second set. The win over Kawa was Rybakina’s first victory as World No. 1.

Diana Shnaider, the 2023 runner-up and the No. 6 seed in Ningbo, advanced to the semi-finals by beating No. 4 seed Iva Jovic 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 in a 2-hour, 11-minute quarter-final. Shnaider is a semi-finalist from last year and has now reached a fourth semi-final of 2026 following Adelaide, Roland Garros and Washington. The 22-year-old’s quarter-final result avenged a three-set loss to Jovic in Dubai in February; that earlier meeting was their only previous encounter.

Rybakina and Shnaider will meet for the third time in the 2026 season, with Rybakina holding a 2-0 head-to-head lead over the Russian; both prior meetings took place this year. The pair’s semi-final clash is scheduled to begin at 5:30 pm local time (3 pm IST). "A little tricky today but the defending champ is back in the semis! 🎮↩️Elena Rybakina defeats Katarzyna Kawa 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 and will face Diana Shnaider next. #NingboOpen pic.twitter.com/gduo93uYwu"

Broadcasters for the match vary by region: Tennis Channel and WTA TV will carry the semi-final for Indian viewers, with WTA TV and Tennis Channel available on a subscription basis in India. UK viewers can watch on Sky Sports and Tennis Channel, and Tennis Channel will provide live coverage for audiences in the United States.

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