Brilliant Bencic claims second Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open title

Belinda Bencic became Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open champion for the second time, on Saturday, after coming from behind to defeat Ashlyn Krueger in the final, capping a remarkable comeback story.

The third edition of the WTA 500 event drew to a close in front of a sold-out crowd at the International Tennis Centre, Zayed Sports City, after both finalists had recorded victories to secure their place in the tournament showpiece, with Bencic overturning a one-set deficit to eliminate reigning champion Elena Rybakina and Krueger defeating Linda Noskova, setting the stage for a showdown on Stadium Court.

There was little to choose between the two players in the first set, which went with serve for the opening eight games. With the score tied at 4-4, 20-year-old Krueger then broke her opponent, subsequently seeing out the following game, on serve, to take the lead.

If the first set was close, the second was anything but, as Bencic, 27, produced a stunning response, completely overpowering Krueger, who was playing in her first WTA 500 final, to restore parity.

Buoyed by the ruthlessness of her second-set turnaround, 2020 Olympic gold medallist Bencic picked up where she left off, quickly racing into a 3-0 lead in the third to firmly take control of the contest.

The less experienced Krueger pulled a game back, but it was little more than a temporary reprieve. There was simply no stopping Bencic, who comfortably saw out the next three games to seal a 4-6, 6-1, 6-1 victory, and a second Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open title, capping a remarkable comeback story given she only returned to action in October after taking a maternity break.

With Bencic not competing at last year’s event, today’s victory ensures she remains undefeated at the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open, a tournament she is slowly making her own.

Bencic celebrated on-court, and even included her young daughter, Bella, in the proceedings, before collecting her trophy from a presentation party made up of Homaid Al Shimmari, Deputy Group CEO at Mubadala Investment Company, His Excellency Aref Al Awani, General Secretary of Abu Dhabi Sports Council, His Excellency, Dr Ahmed Abdullah Al Qubaisi, Assistant General Secretary, Acting, Abu Dhabi Sports Council, Portia Archer, Chief Executive Officer, WTA, Roberto Ranieri, WTA Supervisor, Claire Wood, Tournament Referee and Nigel Gupta, Tournament Director.

DOUBLES DELIGHT FOR OSTAPENKO/PEREZ

Earlier in the day, Jelena Ostapenko and Ellen Perez clinched the doubles title following a dominant win over Shuai Zhang and Kristina Mladenovic, requiring just 60 minutes to secure the title in what was a very one-sided contest.

The duo reached the final without dropping a single set, and Saturday’s match followed a similar theme as they blasted their opponents away in devastating fashion, cruising to a 6-2, 6-1 victory.