BEIJING, October 14. /TASS/. Russia's Veronika Kudermetova defeated Croatia's Antonia Ruzic to advance to the second round of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) tournament in China's Ningbo.

The match finished with a score of 6-3, 6-2 in favor of Kudermetova, who is participating in the tournament unseeded. Ruzic entered the main draw after Zhang Shuai withdrew. In the second round, Kudermetova will play against Italy's Jasmine Paolini.

Kudermetova, 28, is currently ranked 31st in the WTA standings. She has two career WTA titles. Her best result in Grand Slam singles came when she reached the quarterfinals of the 2022 French Open. She also won the 2021 Billie Jean King Cup as part of the Russian national team. Kudermetova has had greater success in women’s doubles, winning nine tour titles, including a WTA title in 2022 and Wimbledon in 2025.

Ruzic, 22, is ranked 70th in the world standings. The Croatian has yet to win a WTA singles title. She made her Grand Slam debut in 2025, losing in the first round of the US Open.

The Ningbo tournament is classified as a WTA 500 event and is played on hard courts. The event will conclude on October 19. The reigning champion is Australia's Daria Kasatkina, who defeated Russia's Mirra Andreeva in the final.