Elena Rybakina maintained her chances of winning her second title in 2024 by defeating Danielle Collins and advancing to the quarter-finals of the Abu Dhabi Open.
Despite being behind by a set and a break, Rybakina showed determination and raised her performance to secure a 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory in a match that lasted two hours and 17 minutes.
This win follows her earlier triumph at the Brisbane International Tournament.
Collins and Rybakina have shown to be evenly matched, with Rybakina winning their last two meetings in three sets.
The Kazakhstan player understood that this was her only way to win after her American opponent dominated the first set.
Collins made 12 impressive shots, especially with her backhand, and only lost one point on her first serve as she won the first set.
The 30-year-old worked an early break in the second set, clinching it with a powerful backhand, only for Rybakina to break back right after.
Rybakina dropped service again, but the match changed when she struck back in the sixth game, breaking through after four deuces.
Rybakina won four consecutive games to seal the second set.
The final began slowly, but Rybakina broke through in the fifth game with a stunning backhand pass.
Errors crept into Collins’ game in the final set, just as Rybakina increased her level of play.
Rybakina broke for the second time in the set to secure the victory and advance to the quarterfinals, where she will face Cristina Bucsa, who defeated Heather Watson 7-6(1) 7-5.
Harriet Dart advanced to the quarterfinals of the Transylvania Open after defeating Elisabetta Cocciaretto 5-7, 7-5, 6-3.
Victory secured Dart’s second berth in a quarterfinal in 2024, after her run to the final of the Workday Canberra International in January.
