Elena Rybakina had never won against Liudmila Samsonova, but finally she turned the tables in a 6-0, 4-6, 6-2 win to reach the final of the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open which will take place on Sunday. A potential second title of the season awaits for the Kazakh ace after winning Brisbane.
Rybakina like against Cristina Bucsa in her last round did not mess around in the opening set. She sealed it 6-0 in only 25 minutes. Samsonova could not hit the court and force her aggression on Rybakina on the early goings which left her to be putty in the hands of the World No.5. But the second set was much different as Samsonova found her tennis.
Samsonova jumped out into a 4-1 lead, but Rybakina pulled a break back. In the end though, the Russian made sure of a nervy end as she took the second set 6-4. But Rybakina was back to her rampant best as Samsonova went back into her shell and a lack of pressure was forthcoming as Rybakina took the final set 6-2.
This came after Daria Kasatkina triumphed over Beatriz Haddad Maia in the semi-finals after a three-set epic, but one of the best displays put on by the Russian in a long time. The 2-hour and 59-minute win sees Kasatkina into her second final of the year like Rybakina and is her first win over a top 20 opponent since Eastbourne last year.
Kasatkina sealed it 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 to claim her spot. She dominated the opening set by breaking the serve four times in utterly emphatic fashion. It was the first set that she had taken off Haddad Maia in five attempts. BHM turned the tables in the second set as she took advantage of a downturn from Kasatkina to force a decider.
Kasatkina then had to show real grit and determination as she found herself a break down twice. But she refused to let the Brazilian gain any momentum. After getting back on serve at 3-3, Kasatkina saved four break points to stretch it to a deciding tie-break. After a lengthy exchange, Kasatkina outlasted Haddad Maia in the real nail in the coffin as she broke open the scoreline to extend the lead with an insurmountable lead from there.
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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