Abu Dhabi (AFP) – Belinda Bencic secured her first title since returning from maternity leave with a come-from-behind victory over American Ashlyn Krueger at the Abu Dhabi Open on Saturday. The 2021 Tokyo Olympic gold medallist spent 13 months away from the tour and got back to action last October, just six months after giving birth to her first child, Bella. Bencic recovered from a poor serving performance in the first set to beat the 51st-ranked Krueger 4-6, 6-1, 6-1 and clinch the ninth title of her career and first since her triumph in Abu Dhabi two years ago.
The 27-year-old celebrated with her daughter and husband, Martin Hromkovic, on court and said getting to win a title in front of Bella is a “mini dream come true.” “It’s tough to describe into words,” said Bencic. “I think only we know what we went through as a family. We are so appreciative and blessed to have Bella in our lives, and then also to be able to still do what I want to do, and then also having the good results on top of that – the emotions were just that I’m incredibly grateful, blessed and just a mini dream come true.”
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In the first meeting between the pair, both Krueger and Bencic struggled on serve early on, combining for eight double faults in the opening three games in tricky, windy conditions. Six of the first eight games went against the serve, with Bencic wiping out a 1-3 deficit and breaking for 4-3 before Krueger pegged her back and drew level.
The 20-year-old American was racking up the double faults, committing a total of 10 in the first set, but she continued to unleash powerful forehands to put pressure on Bencic, who finally surrendered the set after 10 tight games and 65 minutes of play. Bencic only managed to win 38 percent of her first-serve points in the opening set, but that statistic dramatically improved in the second, allowing the Swiss to carve out a 4-0 lead and she soon got on equal terms to force a decider.
Despite needing a medical timeout to treat hand blisters halfway through the final set, Bencic kept up her momentum and wrapped up the win in two hours and 23 minutes. Bencic was ranked outside the top 1,000 in November and will re-enter the top 65 when the new rankings are released on Monday. Meanwhile, Krueger is expected to crack the top 40 for the first time by virtue of her run to the final.
Krueger has a quick turnaround as she needs to hop on a flight to Doha, where she is due to face fellow American Sofia Kenin in the Qatar Open first round on Monday. “It’s definitely a little bit of a rush, but it’s a good problem to have, making the final and having to rush to another tournament,” she said. “So it’s a new thing for me. It’s something that I’m willing to take head on and enjoy every moment of it.”
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