Elena Rybakina began her campaign at the WTA 500 Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo with a methodical victory over Leylah Fernandez, winning 6-4, 6-3, thus advancing to the quarter-finals. This win positions the Kazakh player just one match away from clinching the eighth and final spot for the year-end WTA Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Rybakina reflected on the match, acknowledging its challenges. “It was a very difficult match. It’s always tough playing against Leylah, especially in my first match here. I’m happy with the victory and eager for the next match,” she remarked. “I’m feeling a bit tired, but I’m ready for a final push. Last week went well, and I hope to carry that momentum forward.”
The match lasted 1 hour and 28 minutes, and Rybakina was in control throughout, securing her fifth successive win and improving her head-to-head record against the 2021 US Open finalist to 2-2. This victory allowed her to inch closer to overtaking the 18-year-old Mirra Andreeva in the standings, as Andreeva could not participate in the Tokyo tournament due to reported visa complications.
In the quarter-finals, Rybakina is set to face Victoria Mboko, who previously outlasted her in the semi-finals during her impressive title run at the WTA 1000 event in Montreal last August. Rybakina’s victory over Fernandez marked her 50th match win of the season, making her the fourth player to achieve this milestone, joining Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, and Jessica Pegula—all of whom have already qualified for the Finals in Riyadh.
The Tokyo tournament also saw other notable performances. Third-seeded Ekaterina Alexandrova effortlessly defeated Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian in just 69 minutes, prevailing with a score of 6-1, 6-2. Alexandrova will face Sofia Kenin in the next round after the American overcame Japanese wild-card Wakana Sonobe in a closely contested match that ended 3-6, 6-1, 7-6(2).
Swiss fifth seed Belinda Bencic came from behind to defeat French qualifier Varvara Gracheva 6-4, 6-3, securing her place in the quarter-finals against the eighth seed, Karolina Muchova. Meanwhile, the last quarter-final matchup will feature sixth seed Linda Noskova taking on Anna Kalinskaya, who advanced on Wednesday.
As the tournament progresses, the stakes remain high, with players aiming not only for victory in Tokyo but also for critical points that could define their season’s end.
