High-seeded Elena Rybakina secured her second title of the season with a easy 6-1, 6-4 victory over Daria Kasatkina on the Abu Dhabi Open on Sunday. The world quantity 5, who began the 12 months with a title in Brisbane, added a seventh trophy to her resume and is now joint-second on the match-wins leaderboard with 11 victories to her identify in 2024. Gentle rain offered some late drama because it briefly interrupted the ultimate sport of the competition, with gamers instructed to attend on their benches with Rybakina main 6-1, 5-4, 30/30. It was solely a brief delay although because the 2022 Wimbledon champion closed out the win with two good serves on the 68-minute mark.
“First I want to congratulate Daria of course with a great week, congrats to you and the team,” Russian-born Kazakh Rybakina stated in her victory speech.
“Tough week, especially last matches, and tomorrow is already a match in Doha, so hopefully we both recover and we do well there and maybe play the final there.”
Rybakina struck first however double-faulted handy Kasatkina the break again.
Kasatkina returned the favour instantly, double-faulting to drop serve as soon as once more and the Russian didn’t win one other sport in that set as Rybakina secured the set 6-1 in 24 minutes.
Kasatkina hit simply two winners in that set, in opposition to a whopping 16 unforced errors, and her double-fault depend was mounting as she struggled with the windy circumstances.
The second set was a extra aggressive affair however Rybakina’s energy sport in the end made the distinction with Kasatkina clearly feeling the after results of the taxing three-hour semi-final she performed in opposition to Beatriz Haddad Maia the earlier night.
Kasatkina has now misplaced her final 4 consecutive finals –- together with two this 12 months in Adelaide and Abu Dhabi -– and stays looking for a primary title triumph since 2022.
“I’m playing a lot of matches, I’m winning most of them, which is very important,” stated Kasatkina, who’s 10-3 win-loss to date this marketing campaign.
“I think it’s the best start of the year for me ever. I can be just happy with that.
“In fact there are moments which are disappointing –- to lose the ultimate isn’t a pleasant factor however as Daniil Medvedev stated after the Australian Open, it is higher to play three finals than to lose three first rounds. So I’ll take that.”
The Russian world number 14 has a quick turnaround and will catch a late flight Sunday from Abu Dhabi to Doha, where she is due to face her compatriot and good friend Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the first round of the Qatar Open on Monday.
“Proper now I am a bit dissatisfied in fact. However generally being upset might help you perhaps greater than being tremendous completely satisfied,” said Kasatkina.
“That is what occurred two years in the past after I misplaced within the semi-finals from match level to Ons (Jabeur) in Rome. I actually consider that match made me play semi-final at Roland Garros.
“So I will think this way, thinking that these losses in the finals they will just make me better and will push me to grow.”
Seeded quantity three in Doha, Rybakina has a first-round bye and kicks off her draw there in opposition to Varvara Gracheva or Zhu Lin in spherical two.
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Daria Kasatkina
Tennis