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Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina, world number one, claimed her fourth title in an exceptional season after easily defeating Canada's Leylah Fernandez 6-2 and 6-2 on Sunday in the final of the Ningbo Open in China for tennis.
Rybakina, the tournament's top seed and defending champion, sealed the match against the world number 30 in one hour and 13 minutes, capturing the 15th title of her career on the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) tour.
The Kazakh player also boosted her chances of finishing the season at the top of the world rankings, having previously triumphed at the Australian Open and US Open this year.
Moscow-born Rybakina said during the crowning ceremony: "Thank you all for the wonderful atmosphere. Playing in front of you every day gives me a lot of motivation and energy to keep going. Winning the title here for the second time makes this place very special to me."
Rybakina imposed her rhythm from the first set after breaking her opponent's serve to lead 4-2, before widening the gap and clinching the set 6-2 in less than 40 minutes.
The Kazakh player continued her dominance in the second set, benefiting from the accuracy of her shots and the power of her serve to lead 2-1 after breaking the serve of Fernandez, who was aiming to claim her second title within two months.
Rybakina successfully saved two break points in the fourth game, putting her opponent under increasing pressure, before closing out the second set with the exact same score, 6-2, thanks to a powerful forehand at the first match point.
Rybakina had missed the Wuhan tournament in China earlier this month due to a foot injury, but she returned strongly to secure a new title that reinforces her standing among the season's top players.
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