Elena Rybakina vs Jasmine Paolini Prediction & Picks - Ningbo Open

Prediction published on 10/17/25, 11:43 PM  by Lou Aguila | Modified on 10/18/25 at 4:21 PM in Tennis Picks

Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan will battle Jasmine Paolini of Italy on Saturday as the two elite players contest not only for a spot in the final of the 2025 Ningbo Open but also a place at the 2025 WTA Tour Finals.

Rybakina opened as the favorite at -200, but Paolini has been in red-hot form since the 2025 US Open.

Current Form:

Rybakina punched her ticket to the semifinal of the 2025 WTA 250 Ningbo Open after posting a resounding win over Ajla Tomljanovic 6-2, 6-0 in the quarterfinals. After firing 10 aces in her second-round win over Dayana Yastremska 6-4, 6-7, 6-3, the Kazakh drilled seven aces and won 76 percent of her first serves to win 6 of 7 service games. Rybakina also scored six breakpoint conversions in the match, including a triple break in the second set. Rybakina is 33-13 on the hard court in 2025.

Paolini also earned her seventh semifinal appearance this year following her comeback win over Belinda Bencic 5-7, 7-5, 6-3 in the quarterfinals. The Italian found a way to grind out a victory by coming through with clutch points down the stretch, which included four breakpoint conversions in the second and third sets. Paolini improved her record to 11-2 in her last 13 matches.