DOHA – Russian Mirra Andreeva battled to a hard-fought first-round victory, while Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia avenged her narrow Australian Open loss to British Emma Raducanu, eliminating the 2021 US Open champion in the first round of the Doha Open with a 6-2, 7-5 victory.
Andreeva found herself a set and a break down at 6-4, 3-2 before working her way back into the match. Andreeva failed to convert a couple set points at 5-4 in the second set, but the 17-year-old held on to take the tiebreak and force a decider.
Andreeva saw an early third-set break slip away, but she reclaimed her advantage with a love break for a 5-4 lead.
The teenager then served out the match to improve to 7-2 on the year (and both of her 2025 losses came against World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka).
Alexandrova followed on Center Court, collecting a 6-3, 7-5 victory over 2021 US Open champion Raducanu. Raducanu knocked Alexandrova out of this year’s Australian Open in two tiebreak sets, but it was Alexandrova who took the win after 1 hour and 42 minutes.
Alexandrova is currently riding a five-match winning streak. The World No. 25 won the Linz title just over a week ago, collecting the champion’s trophy at that event for the first time after two previous runner-up finishes.
Raducanu grabbed an early 3-1 lead in the first set, but Alexandrova powered herself in front, edging ahead 5-3. Serving for the set, Alexandrova saw her first two set points erased, but Raducanu netted a return on the third.
The second set progressed similarly, with Alexandrova once again charging back from an early break down. At 5-5, Alexandrova grabbed a crucial break point with a rally backhand winner down the line, and she converted that chance. She served out the match in the next game.
Elsewhere, Belinda Bencic was crowned champion of the Abu Dhabi Open, two years after she won that very same title.
It was Bencic’s first title since her return from maternity leave four months ago, and the Swiss Olympic gold medalist was understandably emotional during the trophy ceremony.
“It’s tough to describe into words,” Bencic said after the final. “I think only us know what we went through as a family.
“We are so appreciative and blessed to have Bella in our lives. And then also to be able to still do what I want to do. And then also, like, having the good results on top of that. So the emotions were about feeling incredibly grateful, blessed. And just a mini dream come true.”
It was a big week for Bencic at Zayed Sports City, where she knocked out two Grand Slam champions in Marketa Vondrousova and Elena Rybakina along the way to the final before battling through tricky windy conditions to overcome 20-year-old big-hitter Ashlyn Krueger in a three-set title decider.
Off the court, Bencic cut a relaxed figure throughout the week. The morning of her semi-final match with World No. 5 Rybakina, she took Bella to the aquarium for a fun family excursion. Ahead of the final, she was warming up on the outdoor stationary bikes with Bella playing on the floor right in front of her. It was big smiles all around.
“It’s just like a regular day as a parent,” Bencic told wtatennis.com.
“We’re trying to do a nice program for Bella, so she can learn something in the day and just taking care of her. We took a walk and we went to the aquarium. She loved it so much and it was just a nice moment, but it had nothing to do with preparing for my match. It’s a little bit different now.”
