Belinda Bencic has needed to dig deep to assert the inaugural Abu Dhabi Open title after saving three championship factors in a gripping comeback win in opposition to Liudmila Samsonova.
Second seed Bencic didn’t drop a single set en path to Sunday’s closing, however she fell behind to the Russian and was on the point of defeat when 6-Four down in a second-set tiebreak.
However the Swiss rallied to take the sport to a decider, nevertheless, and she or he prevailed 1-6 7-6 (10-8) 6-Four in a compelling two hour 48 minutes duel to win the eighth WTA title of her profession.
World No.9 Bencic, who was additionally victorious on the Adelaide Worldwide 2 in January, made a gradual begin in opposition to an opponent she had didn’t beat in three conferences.
Samsonova broke her within the second and sixth video games of the opening set in a dominant begin as she regarded to make it 5-Zero in championship matches on the WTA Tour.
Bencic improved within the second set, though a break of serve meant it went the space.
Eighth seed Samsonova regarded good worth to wrap up a straight-sets win when 6-Four up, just for Bencic to save lots of each championship factors, and likewise at 8-7.
Three factors in a row enabled the 25-year-old Olympic champion to take the tie and degree up the competition, which she went on to win with a few breaks within the deciding set.
