Russia's Daria Kasatkina delivered a powerful return to Spain's Paula Badosa during their women's singles semifinal match at the WTA Ningbo Open tennis tournament in Ningbo, located in eastern China's Zhejiang province. — AFP
Daria Kasatkina triumphed over her Russian compatriot Mirra Andreeva with a score of 6-0, 4-6, 6-4 to clinch the Ningbo Open final in China on Sunday, securing her second title of the season. Kasatkina, the Eastbourne champion who has faced defeat in four finals this year, swiftly dominated the first set, leaving the 17-year-old Andreeva visibly unsettled. After securing the initial game of the second set, Kasatkina experienced a lapse, allowing her close friend Andreeva to equalize when the world number 11 sent a backhand wide. Andreeva seized a 3-0 lead in the final set, but Kasatkina regained control as Andreeva's unforced errors began to mount. The 27-year-old Kasatkina fought back to claim the eighth trophy of her career and will re-enter the world's top 10 rankings on Monday.
"In the first set, I gave it my all, I was incredibly focused, and the level of play was exceptionally high," Kasatkina shared with reporters. "But clearly, after that, I lost some steam, and Mirra was there, ready to capitalize. She's the type of player who never quits, and to win any point, you almost have to give everything you've got on the court." Kasatkina added, "I feel like I performed a miracle in the third set because it was an extremely challenging moment. I was on the brink of losing faith... In tennis, being in the top 10 is a significant milestone."
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