Rybakina beats Fernandez to win Ningbo Open title, her fourth of the season

World number one Elena Rybakina won her fourth title of an outstanding season with a straight-sets victory over Leylah Fernandez in the Ningbo Open final on Sunday.

The top seed and defending champion cruised to a 6-2, 6-2 win in 73 minutes over the world number 30 from Canada, collecting her 15th WTA crown in all and taking a big step towards securing the year-end number-one ranking.

Rybakina, the Australian Open and US Open champion this season, broke through in the fifth game of the opening set and wrapped it up in under 40 minutes, then broke again for 2-1 in the second set before sealing the win on her first championship point with a searing forehand.

“Thank you all you guys for an amazing atmosphere,” the 27-year-old said in her victory speech. “Every day it’s amazing to play in front of you. It gives a lot of motivation and energy to keep on going. A second win here, it’s such a special place for me.”

The win is a timely lift for the Moscow-born Kazakh, who missed this month’s Wuhan Open with a foot injury. Fernandez, 24, who won the Singapore Open last month, was seeking a second title in as many months but was broken once more as Rybakina grabbed a 2-1 second-set lead and never looked back.

“I’d like to congratulate Elena for a wonderful week and a wonderful year,” Fernandez said after the final.

Sources: AFP via Dawn | AFP via Malay Mail | Daily Sabah | beIN Sports