Elena Rybakina added a second win in straight sets over Cristina Bucsa in 2024 to secure the Abu Dhabi Open semi-finals.
The Kazakhstani player hasn't played since the Australian Open, but she's already back to dominant form with two really good wins at the WTA 500 tournament in Abu Dhabi.
The season started really well for her, but the Australian Open proved to be a huge letdown. Fans will be delighted to see that it was just a one-off, as Rybakina is back to dominant form in Abu Dhabi.
A somewhat shaky win over Danielle Collins was quickly forgotten by Ryabkina, who thrashed Cristina Bucsa quite easily. It was the second time they played this year, though this one was a far more impressive win.
The conditions should have favored Rybakina more, and it certainly proved true in the opening set. The score was 6-1 as she bombarded from the baseline, easily overpowering Bucsa, who, to be fair, lacks the necessary weapons to really counter Rybakina, especially in conditions that give her time to set up properly
Serving well was crucial for Rybakina as well, as she dropped only 3 points on her serve in the opening set. The second set was a lot closer because some things didn't go quite as well for her.
She struggled a bit more on serve, allowing Bucsa to actually take a 3-1 lead in the second set, but once she got that warning, Rybakina got serious and turned around the match.
The score in the second set was 6-4 as she once again exploited the Spaniard's second serve to turn around the match. This is another semi-final for Rybakina, who already has one trophy to her name and will hope to add another one this week. To get there, she'll need to beat Liudmila Samsonova in the semifinal.
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