Swiss Star Bencic Survives Scare, Faces Paolini in Ningbo Quarterfinal

On October 17, 2025, the quarterfinal round of the Ningbo Open is set to feature a clash between Swiss star Belinda Bencic and Italian player Jasmine Paolini.

Bencic, who has had a decent season so far with a 31-16 win-loss record, struggled to overcome qualifier Yuliia Starodubtseva in the Round of 16. After losing the opening set, Bencic needed to dig deep to register a thrilling 5-7, 6-4, 7-5 victory. Prior to this, Bencic had defeated Magda Linette in the opening round, following her failure to reach the quarterfinals in Wuhan and Beijing.

On the other hand, second-seeded Paolini is enjoying a strong run in Ningbo. She received a bye in the opening round and then registered a dominant 6-2, 7-5 win over former World No. 9 Veronika Kudermetova in the Round of 16. Paolini, who has a 41-17 win-loss record this season, is the top contender after the early exit of the top seed Mirra Andreeva.

Bencic and Paolini have faced each other three times before, with Bencic leading the head-to-head 2-1. However, Paolini won their most recent meeting in the United Cup earlier this year, defeating Bencic 6-1, 6-1. Paolini has also shown impressive form on the hardcourt this season, making the quarterfinals in Beijing and the semifinals in Wuhan last week.

Despite Bencic's struggles against top-seeded players and her failure to reach the top four on the hardcourt since her triumph in Abu Dhabi, the Swiss star will be determined to overcome Paolini and advance to the semifinals in Ningbo.