“`html
Qualifier Katarzyna Kawa secured a landmark victory over a Top 20 player for the first time in her career, defeating Swiss star Belinda Bencic in straight sets during the second round of the 2026 Ningbo Open. The Polish player’s win, 7-5, 6-2, marks a significant breakthrough on the WTA Tour as she advances to her maiden WTA 500 quarterfinal.
Facing the world No. 14 and seeded fifth in Ningbo, Bencic struggled to find consistency. The Swiss athlete, who has been enduring a challenging season, suffered yet another early tournament exit. Since her strong run to the quarterfinals in Toronto earlier in August, Bencic has been unable to string together back-to-back wins, and her performance in Ningbo continued this trend.
Bencic Loses Early to Another Qualifier at Ningbo Open
For Kawa, ranked outside the Top 125 and aged 33, this victory represents a career milestone. After a tightly contested first set, she dominated the second by breaking Bencic multiple times to pull away with relative ease on the hard courts of Ningbo. This impressive display propelled her into the quarterfinal stage of a WTA 500 event for the first time.
The defeat comes at a difficult moment for Bencic, who is poised to lose the 500 ranking points she earned from her Tokyo title a year ago once the WTA rankings update next week. With only 60 points added from her run in Ningbo, a notable drop in her standings appears imminent.
Looking ahead, Kawa faces a daunting challenge in the quarterfinals, where she will meet the current world No. 1, Elena Rybakina. To extend her remarkable run, Kawa will need to elevate her game even further when they meet on Friday.
“`