Katarzyna Kawa turned a slow start into a place in the second round of the WTA 500 in Ningbo, beating Daria Snihur 1:6, 6:2, 6:4 after dropping the opening set. The win kept Kawa alive in the draw and set up a tougher test next against Belinda Bencic.
That next match matters because Bencic is seeded fifth, and the winner will move into the quarterfinals. For Kawa, the result was more than a recovery from one bad set; it was the step that keeps her run in Ningbo moving forward in a tournament where every round quickly raises the level.
The match also carried a familiar edge. Kawa and Snihur were meeting for the fourth time in 2024, and Snihur had beaten her earlier in Beijing and in Australian Open qualifying. On Sunday in Ningbo qualifying, Snihur had already been in control at 6:1, 2:0 before later appearing in the main draw as a lucky loser, which gave the rematch an unusual backdrop even before the first ball was struck.
What changed inside the match was the scoreline after that first set. Kawa steadied herself, took the second set 6:2 and then closed out the decider 6:4. She did not need to overpower the contest from the start. She only needed to stop the slide, and once she did, Snihur could not recover the early advantage.
Kawa now goes on to face Bencic with a quarterfinal place at stake. The comeback in Ningbo showed she can turn a match around quickly, but the next round will ask for more than resilience.
