Paolini and Rybakina Shine at Wuhan Open with Contrasting Wins

WUHAN, China (AP) — Seventh seed Jasmine Paolini and eighth seed Elena Rybakina both advanced to the third round of the Dongfeng Voyah · Wuhan Open on Wednesday, showcasing contrasting victories.

Paolini orchestrated a comeback against local wildcard Yue Yuan, ultimately winning 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. This marks her fourth consecutive victory over Yuan. Meanwhile, Rybakina solidified her spot in the round of 16 by defeating Romania’s Jaqueline Adina Cristian with a score of 6-4, 6-3.

Both players are striving for a chance in the WTA Finals, held this year in Riyadh. With three qualification spots still open, Rybakina, currently eighth, and Paolini, ranked ninth, are enhancing their chances with these wins. Rybakina must progress at least one round ahead of Paolini this week to maintain her edge in the Race to Riyadh.

Paolini’s victory was significant as it marks her 39th main-draw win of the season, just one shy of her career-best 40 wins from last year. She has a scheduled match against Clara Tauson of Denmark, whom she has defeated once before.

Additionally, with this match, the 29-year-old Paolini has become the fourth Italian player to achieve over 40 hard-court main-draw wins at WTA 1000 events since the format was introduced in 2009. The elite group also includes Roberta Vinci, Flavia Pennetta, and Sara Errani. This match also made her the oldest player to achieve 24 or more main-draw wins in a single season since Serena Williams in 2014.

On the other court, Rybakina, the former Wimbledon champion, is eyeing her 10th quarterfinal of the season, having already reached nine this year. She is currently tied with Jessica Pegula and Ekaterina Alexandrova, who will face each other in the round of 16.

Rybakina’s next opponent will be Linda Noskova, who has recently been in excellent form after making it to the final in Beijing last week. Rybakina leads their head-to-head encounters 2-0, having secured victories at Roland Garros in 2023 and the Brisbane semifinals in 2024.