Former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina battled back from a set and a break down to win her opening match at the Abu Dhabi Open on Thursday.
The world No.5 came back from the brink to beat American qualifier Danielle Collins 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, after more than two hours of play. Rybakina was playing her first Tour-level match since her second round exit from the Australian Open last month.
During the early stages of their clash, Collins utilised her power to nudge ahead by snatching the opener before breaking the top seed twice in the second frame. However, each time the American broke, she dropped serve in the following game. Paving the way for Rybakina to claw her way back as she broke her opponent three times in a row en route to the decider.
The Kazakh lost her break advantage early on in the final set but broke once again which gave her enough of a margin to seal a roller-coaster victory. Rybakina won 67% of her first service points and hit 27 winners against 19 unforced errors.
“It was a really tough battle. I always play tough matches with Danielle,” said Rybakina.
“I’m really happy that I managed to win in three sets. It went quickly, especially in the first set where I didn’t hold just once.
“I was trying to find my game. The conditions are tough. It was not easy but I’m really happy with the win.”
Unlike qualifier Collins, who had already played three matches at the tournament before today, the clash was Rybakina’s first competitive test in Abu Dhabi. Did this have any impact on her form?
“For me, it was good to get some extra days of practice to prepare,” she commented.
“Of course, I was waiting for my match. The first match is always tough, especially against such a good player. “
This week is only the second time in Rybakina’s career that she is the top seed at a WTA event.
Elsewhere, Barbora Krejcikova breezed into the quarter-finals after Sara Sorribes Tormo retired from their match whilst trailing 2-6, 0-1. The Czech will next play Liudmila Samsonova who beat Anhelina Kalinina 6-1, 6-3.
This year’s tournament has a total financial commitment of $$3,211,715.
