Ashlyn Krueger Advances to Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open Final
American Ashlyn Krueger secured her place in the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open final, defeating Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic 7-6 (2), 6-4 in the semifinals on Friday.
Krueger, ranked No. 51 in the world, delivered a strong serving performance, winning 72.9 percent (43 of 59) of her first-service points while saving four of six break points. The 20-year-old will now compete for her second career WTA title, following her 2023 Japan Women’s Open victory at the WTA 250 level.
Her opponent in the final will be Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic, who staged a comeback win over No. 1 seed Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Bencic, a former Olympic gold medalist, overcame a nine-break-point defensive effort from Rybakina, seizing control early in the second set and carrying that momentum into the decider.
This marks a significant opportunity for Krueger to claim a WTA 500 title, elevating her status among the tour’s rising stars.
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Aliaksandra Sasnovich Stuns Anhelina Kalinina at Transylvania Open
Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus produced a dramatic comeback to upset No. 4 seed Anhelina Kalinina of Ukraine, 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (3), in the quarterfinals of the Transylvania Open in Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Kalinina dominated early on, leading in key statistical categories, including:
- Aces (4-0)
- Break Points Saved (12 of 18)
- Break Points Converted (7 of 9)
However, Sasnovich fought back from a 5-3 deficit in the third set, forcing a tiebreak where she rallied from 3-1 down to win six straight points for the victory.
Her reward is a semifinal matchup against No. 1 seed Anastasia Potapova of Russia, who comfortably defeated Germany’s Ella Seidel, 6-2, 6-3.
In other quarterfinal results:
- Czech No. 5 seed Katerina Siniakova overcame Bulgaria’s Viktoriya Tomova, 6-3, 7-6 (7).
- Lucia Bronzetti emerged victorious in an all-Italian battle, defeating No. 7 seed Elisabetta Cocciaretto, 6-1, 6-4.
The semifinals now feature a mix of top seeds and unseeded surprises, setting up an exciting finish in Romania.
