By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, October 24, 2026
Photo credit: Screen Shot
Leylah Fernandez’s fall rise took another final turn today.
Fernandez fired 27 winners in a 6-3, 7-5 victory over Marie Bouzkova to fly into her 10th career final in Ningbo.
“I would say it’s a good performance,” Fernandez said. “Maybe not the best tennis, a little bit of too many mistakes. But I mean it’s a semifinal, there’s a lot of nerves.
“I’m just super happy I was able to manage it well and play some good tennis when it mattered the most in front of a wonderful crowd.”
The 30th-ranked Fernandez will face world No. 1 Elena Rybakina in Sunday’s final.
Defending champion Rybakina smacked six aces defeating Diana Shnaider 6-3, 7-5 in today’s second semifinal. Rybakina improved to 7-0 lifetime in Ningbo.
After posting three-set wins over Elise Mertens, Aliaksandra Sasnovich and Ekaterina Alexandrova, Fernandez played much of today’s semifinal off the front foot.
Playing sharp angles and sometimes driving the ball down the line, Fernandez burst out to a 5-2 lead before closing the first set.
“Marie, she’s a great player. Overall, she’s very solid, backhand, forehand,” Fernandez said. “So I just tried to use my own strength with variety and also trying to be the one who is the aggressor as much as possible. I’m glad that it worked on important points.”
A red-hot Fernandez has won 13 of her last 16 matches, including capturing her sixth career championship in Singapore last month.
The 2021 US Open finalist Fernandez will face reigning US Open champion Rybakina in Sunday’s final.
The top-seeded Rybakina raised her 2026 record to a WTA-best 52-14. Rybakina is playing for her 15th career title, including her fourth championship of the season after the Australian Open, Stuttgart and US Open titles.
“I’m extremely excited to play another final here, to play another final in Ningbo, especially in front of a wonderful crowd,” Fernandez said.
The 27-year-old Rybakina is 3-2 against Fernandez, including a pulsating 6-7(5), 6-4, 7-6(6) victory in their last meeting in the Stuttgart quarterfinals last spring.
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