STATS Perform/dpa
Belinda Bencic claimed the inaugural Abu Dhabi Open title after saving three championship points in a gripping comeback win against Liudmila Samsonova.
Second seed Bencic did not drop a single set en route to Sunday’s final, but she fell behind to Samsonova and was on the brink of defeat when 6-4 down in a second-set tie-break.
The Swiss dug deep to take the game to a decider, however, and she prevailed 1-6, 7-6 (10-8), 6-4 in a time of two hours and 48 minutes to win the eighth WTA title of her career.
World number nine Bencic, who was also victorious at the Adelaide International 2 in January, made a slow start against an opponent she had failed to beat in three meetings.
Samsonova broke Bencic in the second and sixth games of the opening set in a dominant start as she looked to make it 5-0 in championship matches on the WTA Tour.
Bencic improved in the second set, although a break of serve apiece meant it went the distance.
Eighth seed Samsonova looked good value to wrap up a straight-sets win when 6-4 up, only for Bencic to save both championship points, and likewise at 8-7. Three points in a row saw the 25-year-old take the tie and level up the contest, which she went on to win with a couple of breaks in the deciding set.
Potapova wins in Linz
Vienna: Anastasia Potapova won the second WTA Tour title of her career with a straightforward win over Petra Martic in Sunday’s final at the Linz Open.
The 21-year-old, who is set to reach a personal high of 31 in the world rankings on Monday, saw off her Croatian opponent in just an hour and 16 minutes, winning 6-3, 6-1.
Potapova dropped as low as 124 in the rankings last year, but this week’s success is another reminder of the Russian’s promise. Martic seemingly represents something of a good luck charm for Potapova - she also beat her en route to her first ever WTA title last year in Istanbul.
It did not always look like going in Potapova’s favour, though, as she was broken right at the start and then only just held off Martic in her second service game.
Potapova then secured two breaks that helped her seal the first set, and after Martic won the first game of the second, the eventual champion reeled off six on the bounce to emphatically romp to victory.
