Wed Oct 15 05:10:00 UTC 2025: **News Article:**

**Ningbo Open Heats Up Race to WTA Finals**

**By Barbara Wancke | Oct 14, 2025 | WTA Tour**

NINGBO, China – The WTA 500 Aux Ningbo Open kicked off this week with high stakes for several players vying for a coveted spot at the PIF WTA Finals in Riyadh. Mirra Andreeva, Jasmine Paolini, and Elena Rybakina are all in contention for the final two qualification slots, separated by a mere 407 points in the WTA Race standings. Only two can secure a spot, the third will serve as the first alternate in Riyadh.

All three are competing at the Ningbo Open, where play began Monday. The tournament offers 500 crucial points to the winner. Paolini and Rybakina are also scheduled to play at the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo next week, the final WTA 500 event before the Finals, which begin on November 1 in Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, on Day 1 in Ningbo, sixth-seed Belinda Bencic cruised past Magda Linette, 6-3, 6-2, while seventh-seed Diana Shnaider overcame a slow start to defeat Chinese wild-card Wang Xiyu, 7-5, 6-3. American McCartney Kessler dominated Sofia Kenin, winning 6-0 6-1. Zeynep Sonmez came from behind to beat Aliaksandra Sasnovich, 2-6 7-5 6-3.

British No. 1 Emma Raducanu, recovered from illness, is set to compete on Tuesday, facing a tough draw. She will play local wild-card Zhu Lin in the first round, with a potential second-round clash against top-seed Andreeva looming. Raducanu expressed her determination to push harder and secure a seeding for the Australian Open in January.

In other news from the WTA circuit, Katie Boulter pulled off an upset at the WTA 250 Kinoshita Group Japan Open in Osaka, defeating second-seed Linda Noskova. Coco Gauff captured the WTA 1000 Dongfeng Voyah Wuhan Open title, defeating Jessica Pegula in an all-American final. Pegula previously ended Aryna Sabalenka’s winning streak in the Wuhan Open semi-finals. The Ningbo Open boasts an impressive lineup, including multiple WTA 1000 champions and former Grand Slam winners.

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