Bejlek Faces Parks as Bencic Leads Ningbo Open Matchups

The WTA Ningbo Open's second day features several first-round matchups, including a meeting between Sara Bejlek and Alycia Parks and a rematch between Daria Snigur and Katarzyna Kawa. According to Last Word on Sports, the October 19, 2026, preview highlights Bejlek's previous success against Parks and questions surrounding Snigur's recovery from a recent retirement. Fifth seed Belinda Bencic and Jelena Ostapenko are also among the players featured in the day's match predictions, according to Last Word on Sports.

The publication outlined expected outcomes for the scheduled matches, focusing on recent form, head-to-head records and the circumstances surrounding each player's tournament entry. Snigur and Kawa are set to meet for the second time at the same tournament after playing in the second round of qualifying. Snigur retired during the second set of that encounter because of health issues, raising questions in the preview about whether she could recover sufficiently to compete again within two days.

Their head-to-head record stands at 2-1 in Snigur's favor, according to the article. Despite that advantage, Last Word on Sports predicted Kawa would win their upcoming match in three sets, citing Kawa's strong form during the week and uncertainty surrounding Snigur's recovery.

Bejlek enters her first-round match against Parks with a 3-0 head-to-head advantage. The 20-year-old Czech player has impressed during what the publication described as a breakthrough season, including performances against top-level opponents, although her recent results have been inconsistent. Parks, meanwhile, enters the match as a lucky loser and has won just one of her last five matches, according to Last Word on Sports. Her record against Bejlek has also been difficult, with Parks winning only one set across their three previous meetings.

Based on those results, the publication identified Bejlek as the favorite to advance. The matchup is one of several first-round contests highlighted in its predictions for the second day of the Ningbo tournament.