World No. 1 Elena Rybakina’s Ningbo title defence moved into the quarterfinals on Thursday night when Polina Kudermetova was forced to retire while trailing 5-0 in their second-round match.
Key takeaways
- Rybakina needed only 30 minutes to establish a 5-0 lead before Kudermetova ended the match.
- Kudermetova requested medical treatment at 3-0, returned briefly, but could not continue.
- Defending champion Rybakina will meet Poland’s Katarzyna Kawa in the last eight.
- Kawa upset fifth seed Belinda Bencic, ranked No. 14, 7-5, 6-2 for the first Top 20 victory of her career.
- The Ningbo quarterfinal will be Rybakina and Kawa’s first WTA Tour meeting.
Rybakina progresses after Kudermetova retirement
Rybakina was in complete control before the premature finish, racing through the opening five games under the lights in Ningbo. Kudermetova called for the physio after falling behind by three games and tried to continue, but the Russian left court visibly emotional after retiring.
“This was certainly not how I wanted the match to end,” Rybakina said during her on-court interview. “Polina had already come through difficult matches, and these conditions are demanding. The balls feel heavy. I wish her a quick recovery and hope the problem is not serious.”
The abbreviated outing gives the top seed a relatively light route into the final eight as she seeks to retain the Ningbo crown.
Kawa earns career-best win over Bencic
Kawa, 33, booked her place opposite Rybakina by defeating Bencic 7-5, 6-2 in one hour and 43 minutes earlier on Thursday. The Pole created 15 break-point opportunities and converted five, striking 31 winners while recording 29 unforced errors.
The result sent the world No. 128 into her first WTA Tour hard-court quarterfinal and represented the biggest singles win of her career. Kawa’s previous best ranking was No. 112, reached in November 2020.
“I felt the pressure from the first point to the last,” Kawa said. “What made the difference was staying brave and producing good shots on the important points.”
She added that she was approaching the next round without expectations after achieving a personal milestone in Ningbo. “It is the biggest singles win of my career, so I’m very excited about this tournament and the next match,” she said.
Kawa emerged from a portion of the draw that had featured both Bencic and Jelena Ostapenko. She has previously reached WTA finals in Jurmala in 2019 and Bogota in 2025, while also collecting two WTA 125 singles trophies this season, including the Huzhou title in China in May. Her record also includes five WTA 125 doubles titles, and she peaked at No. 64 in doubles.
Having made her WTA qualifying debut in Warsaw in 2010 as a 17-year-old, Kawa now faces the sport’s top-ranked player with a first Ningbo semifinal berth at stake.
