By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Saturday, February 10, 2024

 

Seventh seeded Daria Kasatkina edged Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(2) to reach her second final of the season in Abu Dhabi.

Photo credit: Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open Facebook

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Kasatkina battled back from a break down the decider out-dueling Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(2) in a thriller to reach her second final of the season at the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open.

It was Kasatkina’s 43rd Top 20 victory and first Top 20 win since she beat No. 18 Karolina Pliskova in Eastbourne last June.

A clever Kasatkina defeated Haddad Maia for the first time in three meetings; she’d lost all four prior sets to the big-hitting Brazilian. Today, Kasatkina hung tough, improving her 2024 record to 9-3 overall, including a 4-1 mark when going the three-set distance.



The seventh-seeded Kasatkina, who lost to Jelena Ostapenko in last month’s Adelaide final, is through to her 15th career final. Kasatkina will play for a seventh career championship—and first tournament title since she won the 250-level Granby crown in August of 2022—in tomorrow’s final against Elena Rybakina.

The 2022 Wimbledon champion Rybakina stopped personal nemesis Liudmila Samsonova 6-0, 4-6, 6-2 to reach her second final of the year.

It was Rybakina’s first win in five career meetings vs. Samsonova and sends her into her second final of the season. Rybakina, who beat Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka in last month’s Brisbane final, improved to 16-8 in career semifinals.

It was a really tough battle,” Rybakina said. “Really happy I managed to win in the end. I started really well the match.

“Also a few shots went my way and it was going really well. But in the second set focus went down a little bit, also the energy, and Liudmila, she always plays very aggressive, it’s not easy to play against her. But really happy that I managed to win.”

Samsonova hit seven more winners than Rybakina—22 to 15—but also committed 44 unforced errors, 29 more errors than her opponent.

The top-seeded Rybakina, like Kasatkina, is playing for a seventh career title. Kasatkina and Rybakina have split four career meetings, including a 6-3, 6-4 Rybakina win at the 2021 Abu Dhabi.

“Again, [it will be] very tough match,” Rybakina said of the final. “A completely different style of the game, i would say. Well tomorrow is not going to be easy. I have to have really good footwork and play my tennis, play aggressive and let's see how it’s gonna go.

“Of course I will give everything I have tomorrow.”

Kasatkina broke to open the first semifinal and was a sharp shot-maker throughout the opening set.

Showing shrewd court sense, Kasatkina cracked a forehand winner to close an opening set of high-quality ball-striking from her side.

A decisive Kasatkina served 77 percent and broke three times in a strong opening set that saw her repeatedly wrong-foot Haddad Maia with strikes down the line.

Navigating a tricky hold that included a frenetic nose-to-nose exchange at net, Haddad Maia held firm for 2-all in the second set. It was just her second hold of the day.

The owner of seven doubles titles, Haddad Maia knows her way around net. She showed it in the sixth game. Dodging a break point when Kasatkina missed a makeable drop volley wide, Haddad Maia pulled the surprise serve-and-volley, holding for 4-2 with a fine forehand drop volley winner.

The 6-foot Haddad Maia thumped a bounce smash capping a hard-fought hold for a 5-3 second set lead. That shot sent some Brazilian fans out of their seats waving the gold-and-green flags celebrating the left-hander saving a pair of break points to hold.

Serving to force a third set, Haddad Maia hit her third ace and a body serve for triple set point. Kasatkina saved two set points, including rapping a forehand winner inside the line, but narrowly missed a forehand down the line as Haddad Maia snatched the second set to force a decider.




Continuing to control the center of the court, Haddad Maia broke to start the third set. Sliding her slice serve out wide, the Brazilian bunted a backhand volley winner to consolidate for 2-0.

In the second round, Haddad Maia won the longest WTA match of the year—a three hour, 42-minute marathon over Magda Linette—and she had another break point for a 3-0 lead in the third set today.

A stubborn Kasatkina denied break point sparking a seven-point surge as she held then broke back to level after four games. The pair traded breaks in the fifth and sixth games.

Haddad Maia earned two break points in the 11th game, but Kasatkina again subdued stress holding for 6-5. Haddad Maia held at love to force the tiebreaker.

A confident Kasatkina burst out to a 6-2 lead in the tiebreaker closing a spirited victory winning five points in a row for her first Abu Dhabi final.

The second semifinal saw a streaking Rybakina roll through the opening set.

The Rybakina return was dialed in and she was stepping in scalding some backhand returns to pressure Samsonova.

An inability to land first serves cost Samsonova. Her second serve went into Rybakina’s backhand strength and the Kazakh crunched a deep return forcing a rattled error to break again for a 4-0 lead.

A challenge for the hard-hitting Samsonova is knowing when to manage her prodigious power and pull back at times. Because she hits the ball so big, Samsonova can sometimes over-hit and try to squeeze shots closer to the lines when she’s down.

The 2022 Wimbledon winner whipped through a two-ace hold for a 5-0 lead after a mere 18 minutes of play.

Even when Samsonova opened the court as she did well with the wide serve and forehand approach, Rybakina had an answer looping a deep lob to earn set point in the sixth game. Samsonova slid a serve winner wide to save it.

Lunging for a backhand, Samsonova shoveled it into net to face set point No. 2. She saved it with a body serve.

A second double fault gave Rybakina a third set point. When Samsonova netted a forehand, Rybakina dispensed the bagel in 25 minutes.

In a pristine set, the top seed did not commit an unforced error, hit five winners and repeatedly beat Samsonova to the punch.

Requiring a reset, Samsonova did just then firing a forehand winner down the line breaking at love to start the second set and finally getting on the scoreboard after 31 minutes of play.

Unloading another forehand winner down the line, Samsonova sealed her second straight shutout game confirming for 2-0.

Reducing her unforced error count, Samsonova burst out to a 4-1 double-break lead. An assertive Rybaka broke back with a heavy forehand in the sixth game.

Rybakina hammered her sixth ace down the T stamping a love hold for 4-5 and forcing Samsonova to serve out the second set.

Stepping up the line, Samsonova served out the set with confidence at 30 forcing a final set when Rybakina’s forehand died in the top of the tape.

Dancing up quickly to a forehand sitter, Samsonova slapped it into the top of the net then sailed a forehand wide to face triple break point. Samsonova hit her fifth double fault to cede serve and a 3-1 lead to Rybakina.

The world No. 5 backed up the break at 15 for 4-1.



The Rybakina backhand return was a big weapon in this match. When Samsonova scattered a backhand, Rybakina was through to her 16th career final.