WTA roundup: Elena Rybakina, Daria Kasatkina to clash in Abu Dhabi final

Field Level Media|published: Sat 10th February, 14:22 2024

Nov 3, 2023; Cancun, Mexico; Elena Rybakina (KAZ) tosses the ball to serve during her match against Aryna Sabalenka on day six of the GNP Saguaros WTA Finals Cancun. credits: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports

No. 1 seed Elena Rybakina and No. 7 Daria Kasatkina will meet in the final of the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open after winning tough semifinal matches on Saturday in the United Arab Emirates.

Rybakina, of Kazakhstan, outlasted No. 8 seed Liudmila Samsonova of Russia 6-0, 4-6, 6-2 to advance. It was her first win in five matches against Samsonova and came in one hour, 51 minutes behind nine aces and six service breaks.

Kasatkina, of Russia, reached the final following a 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 win over Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia, the No. 6 seed, in just shy of three hours. Kasatkina recorded 44 winners against 37 unforced errors, compared to 31 and 38, respectively, for her opponent.

The two finalists have split their previous four matches.

Transylvania Open

Ana Bogdan defeated fellow Romanian Jaqueline Cristian 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 to move to the final in Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

Cristian actually won more total points — 94 to 92 — than Bogdan, the No. 8 seed, but the match turned in the third set when Cristian lost serve to go down 4-2 and couldn't recover.

In the final on Sunday, Bogdan will face Czech Karolina Pliskova, a 6-3, 6-3 winner over Great Britain's Harriet Dart in 84 minutes behind five service breaks.

—Field Level Media