Kostyuk Retires in Ningbo and Muchová Takes the Last WTA Finals Place

Marta Kostyuk retired from her second-round match at the Ningbo Open on Wednesday after losing the first set 6-4 to Ekaterina Alexandrova, and the last singles place at the WTA Finals went to Karolína Muchová, who is not playing this week. Kostyuk, the #3 seed, needed to reach the final in Ningbo to overtake Muchová in the race. Her exit settled the field for the season-ending championships in Indian Wells from November 8 to 15.

Kostyuk had a first-round bye and was playing her first match of the week. She took a medical timeout for her wrist with Alexandrova leading 5-4 and about to serve for the set. Alexandrova held to close it out, and Kostyuk stopped there. The wrist had troubled the Ukrainian earlier in the season, and the pain returned in Ningbo.