WTA roundup: Elena Rybakina captures second 2024 win in Abu Dhabi

Field Level Media|published: Sun 11th February, 12:48 2024

Apr 1, 2023; Miami, Florida, US; Elena Rybakina (KAZ) hits a backhand against Petra Kvitova (CZE) (not pictured) in the women's singles final on day thirteen of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium. credits: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Top-seeded Elena Rybakina defeated Russian Daria Kasatkina 6-1, 6-4, the seventh seed, in the final of the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open on Sunday, giving Rybakina her second tour win of the season.

Overall, it's her seventh tour win and fourth on the hard courts. Rybakina, of Kazakhstan, now is 11-2 on the season while Kasatkina fell to 9-4.

Rybakina hit on 86 percent of her first serves in the first set and 76 percent for the match, also benefiting from six service breaks and nine double faults from her opponent.

Tied at 4-4 in the second set, Kasatkina allowed two break points, dropping the second, to allow Rybakina to serve for the set. Rybakina finished with 17 winners and 12 unforced errors, compared to 14 and 27, respectively, for Kasatkina.

Transylvania Open

Czech Karolina Pliskova upset home-country favorite Ana Bogdan, the eighth seed, 6-4, 6-3 to win her first title in four years in the final in Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

Pliskova converted four of her 11 break chances and won 78 percent of points on her first serve, compared to 56 percent for her opponent.

A former World No. 1, Pliskova now is ranked No. 78. Sunday's win was her 17th on tour. She didn't drop a set throughout the week and moved to 4-0 against Bogdan.

Pliskova had not reached a tour singles final since August 2021, when she lost to Camila Giorgi of Italy in Montreal.

—Field Level Media

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