Bencic Stuns Rybakina, Sets Up Abu Dhabi Final Against Krueger
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Editor
- . February 8, 2025
- . Update: February 10, 2025 10:29 am
Belinda Bencic pulled off a thrilling comeback to defeat defending champion Elena Rybakina and advance to the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open final.
| Match Result | Score |
| Belinda Bencic def. Elena Rybakina | 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 |
Bencic’s Fightback
Bencic started slow, losing the first set as Rybakina dominated. But the Swiss star, returning to top form after a maternity break, found her rhythm in the second set. She took an early 3-0 lead, and though Rybakina fought back, Bencic held firm to force a decider.
In the final set, Bencic broke Rybakina three times. Despite saving two match points, Rybakina couldn’t stop Bencic from sealing victory.
Krueger’s First WTA 500 Final
Ashlyn Krueger, just 20 years old, continued her impressive run, defeating Linda Noskova in straight sets.
| Match Result | Score |
| Ashlyn Krueger def. Linda Noskova | 7-6, 6-4 |
Noskova led 4-2 in the first set, but Krueger fought back to win the tiebreak. She then broke Noskova twice in the second set to secure her place in her first WTA 500 final.
Doubles Final Set
The doubles final will see Jelena Ostapenko & Ellen Perez face Kristina Mladenovic & Shuai Zhang after both pairs won their semi-finals.
| Doubles Finalists | Semi-final Score |
| Ostapenko/Perez | 6-3, 6-2 |
| Mladenovic/Zhang | 6-1, 6-4 |
The doubles final is set for 2:30 p.m., followed by the Bencic vs. Krueger singles final.
