WTA Abu Dhabi: Kasatkina wins marathon, Rybakina with a premiere
Daria Kasatkina reached the final of the WTA tournament in Abu Dhabi - after a feat of strength. The top seed Elena Rybakina also had to go the distance.
by Florian Goosmann
last edit:
Feb 10, 2024, 05:43 pm
In the end, Rybakina won confidently against Liudmila Samsonova - 6:0, 4:6, 6:2 was the result for the top seeded number 5 in the tennis world. And it was a first: Rybakina had won all four of their previous meetings.
Before that, Daria Kasatkina had a real tennis battle behind her. The Russian needed 2 hours and 59 minutes for her 6:3, 4:6 and 7:6 (2) victory over Beatrix Haddad Maia.
Kasatkina actually had the match under control, was in the lead early in the second set with a break after winning the first round, but then let Samsonova back into the game. In the third set a drama developed with an endless game at 4:4 - and top-class rallies. Ultimately, the tiebreak had to decide, here Kasatkina was the more concentrated player.
The final against Rybakina is the fifth meeting between the two, and the direct comparison is two to two. Rybakina won the last encounter.
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