WTA500 Abu Dhabi: Belinda Bencic vs Ashlyn Krueger final analysis

Bencic found her best tennis after losing the first set to remain undefeated in Abu Dhabi and clinch her first title as a mom

In 2023, Belinda Bencic won the inaugural edition of the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open in dramatic fashion, saving 3 match points during the second set tie-break of the final against Liudmila Samsonova — who was 4-0 in Tour finals at the time — before completing a 1-6, 7-6 (10:8), 6-4 triumph.

Among Bencic’s saves were these two edge-of-the-seat rallies:

→ Samsonova’s championship point #2, 2023 Abu Dhabi final

📺 source: WTA Tv

→ Samsonova’s championship point #3, 2023 Abu Dhabi final

That title stood as Bencic’s last when she went on maternity leave, soon after the 2023 US Open.

The 27-year old Swiss gave birth to daughter Bella in April of 2024 and returned to professional tennis in late October.

Interestingly, she made the humble decision to start off at lower level events, looking to get plenty of match play and gradually build up form and confidence.

When Bencic arrived in Adelaide, a month ago, for her first WTA Tour tournament since September 2023 — to contest the qualifying, no less — she had already racked up 9 wins and played 12 competitive matches. Progressing steadily, she had gone from 1 win to 2 wins in a couple of ITF Tour W75 events and then to 4 wins at WTA 125 Angers, where she was the runner-up.

It is certainly looking like Bencic made the wisest of choices and is now well ahead of her team’s schedule — they were aiming to reach top form by the grass court season.

The Swiss’s run to the fourth round of the Australian Open that included a win over Jelena Ostapenko was already very promising and was followed up by an even better return to Abu Dhabi.

Bencic (WTA #157) scored a double-bagel (!) win over Verokina Kudermetova in the second round, disposed off the always tricky Marketa Vondrousova in the quarters and came back from a set down to upset top seed Elena Rybakina in a semi-final between former Abu Dhabi champions.

Finally, Bencic made it a week to remember with a 4-6, 6-1, 6-1 triumph over surprise finalist Ashlyn Krueger (WTA #50). The comeback ensured Bencic remained undefeated at the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open, but above all prompted her first title celebration as a mother and with a very special guest!

source: WTA Tour

Windy conditions at the start of the WTA 500 Abu Dhabi final led to serving woes for both finalists.

Krueger accumulated 10 double faults in 18 2nd serve points during the first set. Bencic missed her first 8 1st serves of the match and, opting for a more conservative approach afterwards, ended the set winning just 38% of 1st serve points (11/29).

Remarkably, all 10 games of the opener featured break points.