World No. 1 Elena Rybakina defeated Poland’s Katarzyna Kawa (No. 128) 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 in the quarterfinal of the 2026 Ningbo Open. The Kazakhstani needs two more wins to defend the title she claimed last year.
Rybakina, 27, and Kawa, 33, faced each other for the first time. The Kazakhstani raced to a 3-0 lead with a break of serve. After conceding one game to Poland’s No. 5, Rybakina won the next three to take the first set 6-1 in just 22 minutes.
Rybakina opened the second set with a break but failed to consolidate it on her serve. In a lengthy third game, she led 40-0 but failed to convert five break points, falling behind for the first time in the match at 1-2. As Rybakina’s game began to falter, Kawa took advantage, securing two more breaks while allowing the Kazakhstani one in return to win the set 6-3.
The deciding set followed a similar pattern to the first. Rybakina took a 3-0 lead, then Kawa held serve before losing the next three games. The Kazakhstani wrapped up the match in 1 hour and 44 minutes.
In the semifinals, Rybakina will face Russia’s Diana Shnaider (No. 13), who opened her Ningbo campaign with a win over Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva (No. 66), followed by victories over the Philippines’ Alexandra Eala (No. 20) and American Iva Jovic (No. 12).
Rybakina has beaten Shnaider twice, both times in 2026 and in straight sets. The upcoming match will be Rybakina’s seventh semifinal of the 2026 season, having won six.