Top seed Daria Kasatkina needed three sets to get the better of Jil Teichmann in her opening-round match at the Abu Dhabi Open on Thursday. The world no. 8 came from down a set to complete a 1-6, 6-0, 6-2 win over Teichmann in an hour and 43 minutes.
In the first set, Teichmann won 88% of her first-serve points and all six points on return on Kasatkina’s second serve. She also converted two of the four break points she had while saving both break points she faced. However, Kasatkina’s bouncing back was stronger in the second set as she won 83% of her first-serve points and upped her game to such an extent that she didn’t face a single break point. She also made good of three of six break points on the Swiss’ serve. In the deciding set, Kasatkina did fail to save the two break points she faced but converted four of eight break points that came her way on her opponent’s serve.
After the win, the 25-year-old said, “In these tough conditions with the wind, as soon as you lose a little bit of focus the game can change completely, and this is what happened at the beginning. I was a little bit lost with the lights, with the wind but then I found a way to play more safe.”
Qinwen Zheng will be Kasatkina’s opponent in the quarter-finals.
Abu Dhabi Open: Elena Rybakina makes a successful return after AO high
Third seed Elena Rybakina’s debut in the UAE also got to a strong start. The Kazakh bested Karolina Pliskova 6-4, 6-2 in an hour and nine minutes.
Rybakina won 79% of her first-serve points to the Czech’s 70%. But where she won 68% of her second-serve points, Rybakina also finished with winning 80% points on return on the former no. 1’s second-serve. The world no. 10 saved both break points she faced while converting three break points on Pliskova’s serve.
Next up for Rybakina’s sixth seed Beatriz Haddad Maia. The Brazilian won her second-round match against Rybakina’s fellow countrywoman, Yulia Putintseva, 6-4, 6-7(5), 7-6(4).
Lastly, eighth seeded Liudmila Samsonova also took her place in the quarters of the Abu Dhabi Open. Samsonova pocketed a 7-5, 7-6(6) win against Barbora Krejcikova in two hours and 24 minutes in their round-of-16 clash.