Three elite players secured their spots in the Ningbo Open quarterfinals on Thursday, delivering high-stakes performances at the WTA 250 event in Zhejiang Province, the Chinese mainland. Fourth-seeded Ekaterina Alexandrova avenged her 2024 Paris Olympics loss to Chinese wildcard Yuan Yue with a decisive 6-3, 6-3 victory, showcasing tactical precision to overcome Yuan's second-set rally.
Third seed Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan survived a tense three-set battle against Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska, recovering from a missed second-set tiebreak to dominate the decider 6-3. Meanwhile, Italy's Jasmine Paolini outmaneuvered Russia's Veronika Kudermetova 6-2, 7-5, maintaining composure through a challenging second set to set up a clash with Swiss star Belinda Bencic.
The tournament continues to highlight Asia's growing role in global tennis, attracting international athletes and fans to Zhejiang's state-of-the-art facilities. Business analysts note such events strengthen China's sports tourism sector, while diaspora communities follow regional stars like Yuan Yue, whose Olympic triumph remains a point of local pride.
