Rybakina Defeats Fernandez in Tokyo, Nearing WTA Finals Spot

Elena Rybakina’s recent victory at the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo has markedly strengthened her position for a spot at the WTA Finals in Riyadh. Her win against Leylah Fernandez, the champion of Osaka, ended with a score of 6-4, 6-3 in the second round of the WTA 500 tournament. This result places Rybakina just one victory away from qualifying for the prestigious year-end championships for the third consecutive year.

Match Overview

Rybakina’s match lasted 1 hour and 28 minutes, contributing to her current winning streak, which now stands at five matches. In stark contrast to their previous encounter at the Mubadala Citi DC Open, where Fernandez triumphed in a tight semifinal, Rybakina maintained control throughout this match. She never fell behind on the scoreboard and only dropped her serve once, which helped equalize her head-to-head record against Fernandez to 2-2.

Next Steps

With this victory, Rybakina positions herself closer to overtaking Mirra Andreeva in the Race to the WTA Finals. However, a challenging match awaits her next against Victoria Mboko, a fellow Canadian player and the recent Montreal WTA 1000 champion. Earlier this year, Mboko edged out Rybakina in the semifinals, saving a match point in the process.

Player Statements

• “Today was a very difficult match,” Rybakina stated, reflecting on her encounter with Fernandez.
• “I’m pretty happy with the win and looking forward to my next match,” she added.
• Rybakina expressed that, despite feeling tired, she is ready for a final push.

Season Highlights

This victory was notable as it marked Rybakina’s 50th win on the Hologic WTA Tour this season. She becomes the fourth player to achieve this milestone, alongside Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, and Jessica Pegula, all of whom have already qualified for the WTA Finals.

Currently, Rybakina is the highest-ranked player in Tokyo following Jasmine Paolini’s withdrawal from the tournament. Paolini secured her spot in Riyadh last week by making it to the semifinals in Ningbo before succumbing to Rybakina.