Next Gen players to use Jeddah as launching pad for top ATP careers

ABU DHABI: Belinda Bencic became Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open champion for the second time after coming from behind to defeat Ashlyn Krueger in Saturday’s final, capping a remarkable comeback story.

In the doubles event Jelena Ostapenko and Ellen Perez clinched the title with a dominant win over Shuai Zhang and Kristina Mladenovic.

The third edition of the WTA 500 event finished in front of a sold-out crowd at the International Tennis Centre, Zayed Sports City, the culmination of eight days of world-class tennis and fantastic off-court entertainment.

Both finalists recorded magnificent victories to secure their place in the tournament showpiece, with Bencic overturning a one-set deficit to eliminate reigning champion Elena Rybakina and Krueger defeating Linda Noskova, setting the stage for a super showdown on Stadium Court.

There was little to choose between the two players in the first set, which went with serve for the opening eight games.

With the score tied at 4-4, Krueger, 20, broke her opponent, subsequently seeing out the following game, on serve, to take the lead.

If the first set was close, the second was anything but, as Bencic, 27, produced a stunning response, completely overpowering Krueger, who was playing in her first WTA 500 final, to restore parity.

Buoyed by the ruthlessness of her second-set turnaround, 2020 Olympic gold medallist Bencic picked up where she left off, quickly racing into a 3-0 lead in the third to firmly take control of the contest.

The less experienced Krueger pulled a game back, but it was little more than a temporary reprieve. There was simply no stopping Bencic, who comfortably saw out the next three games to seal a 4-6, 6-1, 6-1 victory, and a second Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open title, capping a remarkable comeback story given she did not return to action until October after taking a maternity break.

With Bencic not competing at last year’s event, today’s victory ensures she remains undefeated at the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open, a tournament she is slowly making her own.

Bencic celebrated on-court, including her young daughter Bella in the proceedings, before collecting her trophy.

Earlier in the day, Ostapenko and Perez made light work of Zhang and Mladenovic in the doubles final, requiring just 60 minutes to land the title in a very one-sided contest.

The pair reached the final without dropping a set, and the final followed a similar theme as they blasted their opponents off court in devastating fashion, cruising to a 6-2, 6-1 victory.

Homaid Al Shimmari, deputy group CEO at Mubadala Investment Company, said: “Congratulations to the winners on their remarkable victory at the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open. This tournament has once again brought together the world’s top talent, thrilling fans and elevating the profile of women’s tennis on the global stage. At Mubadala, we are proud to support events that inspire the next generation and reinforce Abu Dhabi’s position as a world-class sporting destination. We look forward to building on this magnificent momentum and welcoming many more future champions to this speculator event next year.”

Aref Al-Awani, general secretary of Abu Dhabi Sports Council, said: “I am pleased to congratulate Belinda Bencic on her well-deserved victory. She showcased an outstanding performance that combined skill and determination that befits the prestige of the tournament.”

Also on Saturday, the Road to Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open winners were crowned as the initiative, which provides a pathway for aspiring players in the UAE to enhance their skills and make an impact on the global game, reached its conclusion.

Sanctioned by the UAE Tennis Federation, the Road to Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open holds tournaments throughout Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Fujairah for various age groups, with the respective finals taking place as part of the WTA 500 event.

For the second consecutive year, Timur Gordeev walked away with the title in the under-16 boys competition, while Karen John triumphed in the girls’ tournament for the same age group.

At under-14 level, Isabelle James successfully defended the title she won last year, with Alexi Rafa Aldemita winning the boys’ competition.

Ryan Abou Jamra and Sophie Himmelreich, meanwhile, were the winners in the under-12 category.

The event has a huge effect in the local community through the Road to Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open and Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open Schools Program, which engaged more than 25,000 children from schools in the capital.

SYDNEY: South African Dricus du Plessis defended his UFC middleweight belt on Sunday with a unanimous win over bitter rival Sean Strickland, destroying his opponent’s nose in a bloody title fight in Sydney.
The 31-year-old won 50-45, 50-45, 49-46 to boost his win-loss record to 23-2 and cement his status as mixed martial arts’ top 185-pound fighter.
Du Plessis first claimed the belt when he beat Strickland via a close split decision in Toronto in January last year, a bout the polarizing American repeatedly insisted he won.
The South African launched a successful defense against Nigeria-born Israel Adesanya in August, while Strickland rebounded with a tepid defeat of Brazil’s Paulo Costa to set up the re-match.
“To come in here and try to knock this man out it is next to impossible,” said Du Plessis, the first South African to win a UFC championship. “I’d love another round, but that’s not the game.
“I wanted a submission, a knockout or an absolute domination of a five rounder,” he added. “That’s what I gave. I gave it my all.”
The Toronto clash was decided by the smallest of margins, but this time it was all Du Plessis.
In a measured start he utilized his favored head kicks, landing four in round one as Strickland responded with tentative jabs.
The volume of strikes increased in round two with Du Plessis delivering combinations to the face that drew blood as he picked up the pace.
Strickland lacked urgency and Du Plessis rammed home the advantage in a dominant round four.
A huge right hook saw blood come pouring from the American’s nose, and another rocked him onto the cage.
Strickland’s nose was clearly bothering him as Du Plessis went in for the kill in the fifth and last round, targeting it whenever possible without being able to deliver a decisive knockout blow.
In a profanity-laden courtside interview afterwards, the American said his nose was broken.
“I popped it back in place and kept fighting for you,” he said. “He kicked my ass fair and square, props to him.”
Also on the maincard, Chinese strawweight queen Zhang Weili successfully defended her title for a third straight time, dominating previously unbeaten American challenger Tatiana Suarez.
The ferocious Zhang, seen as the best pound-for-pound women’s fighter in the sport, scored a unanimous win in the five-round fight that left Suarez with some nasty cuts.
“I was well prepared for this fight. Tatiana is very strong, but I just focused on myself,” said Zhang, who stretched her record to 26-3.
In the heavyweight non-title bout, Brazil’s Tallison Teixeira scored a knockout win over Justin Tafa after just 35 seconds, with a huge elbow to the nose sending the Australian down.
It stretched Teixeira’s record to 8-0.