ABU DHABI:
Olympic champion Belinda Bencic saved three match points to defeat Liudmila Samsonova in the Abu Dhabi final on Sunday for the eighth title of her career.
The 25-year-old world number nine came through 1-6, 7-6 (10/8), 6-4, saving the three championship points in a marathon second-set tiebreak.
It was Bencic’s second title of 2023 after her win in Adelaide while she also became the tour leader in match-wins this season, with her 12 passing Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka.
“It’s been a really tight match, and I’m happy to turn these match points around,” said Bencic.
“I just really tried hanging in there and scramble for every point, and just do my best. I proved to myself that I can really fight hard and just stay in the matches and somehow turn it around.”
Bencic defeated 19th-ranked Russian player Samsonova for the first time in four meetings having lost in the 2021 Berlin final, Luxembourg and the Billie Jean King Cup Finals.
Before Sunday, Samsonova was a perfect 4-0 in championship matches.
