KASATKINA OVERCOMES HADDAD MAIA TO REACH ABU DHABI TENNIS FINAL

Seventh-seeded Daria Kasatkina overcame a mid-match setback on Saturday to reach her second final of the season, winning 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 against Beatriz Haddad Maia in a thrilling semifinal at the Abu Dhabi Open. After the final set, which lasted 83 minutes, Kasatkina said, "Beatriz is a strong fighter, one of the biggest fighters, she gives everything she has on the court incredibly, she didn’t give me anything for free; I had to work hard to achieve it." She added, "I am really happy and a bit exhausted, but it was a great match, and I hope everyone enjoyed it." Kasatkina, aiming for her first title of the year, will face the winner of the other semifinal match between top seed Elena Rybakina and eighth-seeded Russian Liudmila Samsonova.