“`html
ABU DHABI, UAE – Elena Rybakina advanced to the final of the Abu Dhabi Open on Thursday, defeating Marta Kostyuk 6-2, 6-1 in a dominant performance at the International Tennis centre in Zayed Sports City. The match lasted just 67 minutes.
Rybakina, the No. 4 seed and ranked No. 5 in the WTA rankings, showcased her powerful serve and aggressive groundstrokes, proving too much for Kostyuk to handle.The Kazakh player converted 6 of 8 break points, while Kostyuk struggled to find her rhythm, managing only 43% first serve percentage.
Kostyuk, currently ranked No. 33 in the world, had previously upset No. 3 seed Danielle Collins in the quarter-finals. However,she was unable to replicate that form against Rybakina. This was their second career meeting; Rybakina also won their first encounter at the 2023 Australian Open.
Rybakina will face Daria Kasatkina in the final on Saturday. Kasatkina defeated Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-3, 6-4 in her semifinal match. The final will be a rematch of the 2023 Adelaide International 2 final, which Rybakina won 7-5, 6-3.
background: The Abu dhabi Open and it’s Significance
The Abu Dhabi Open, officially known as the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open, is a WTA 500 tournament held annually in Abu dhabi, United Arab Emirates. First held in 2021, it has quickly become a prominent event on the WTA Tour, attracting top players from around the globe. The tournament is played on hard courts and offers significant ranking points and
