Russian Tennis Players Shine in Recent Tournaments
The first series of Asian tournaments has proven to be a fruitful venture for Russian tennis players, highlighted by Lyudmila Samsonova's remarkable victory in doubles alongside Nicole Melichar-Martinez at the WTA tournament in Seoul. This victory marks Samsonova's second career title in doubles, following her success in Dubai last year with Veronika Kudermetova. The duo, who had never played together before, showcased impressive teamwork, defeating local players Dabin Kim and Na Ri Kim in their opening match and overcoming the second-seeded pair of Alexandra Panova and Juliana Olmos in a thrilling super tie-break.
In the final, Samsonova and Melichar-Martinez faced the Japanese-Chinese duo of Miya Kato and Zhang Shuai, who entered the match fresh after their opponents withdrew. Despite this, the Russian-American pair dominated the match, winning decisively with a score of 6-1, 6-0, in just 51 minutes. This victory propelled Samsonova to a significant rise in the WTA doubles rankings, moving her up 40 spots to 73rd.
Khromacheva and Danilina Celebrate WTA 250 Win
In addition to Samsonova's success, Irina Khromacheva and Anna Danilina clinched the title at the WTA 250 tournament in Hua Hin, Thailand. The duo, who have been playing together for an extended period, entered the tournament as the top seeds and advanced to the final without dropping a single set. They faced Hong Kong's Edis Chun and Japan's Moyuka Uchijima in the final, where they showcased their skills, winning the match in an hour and a half with a score of 6-2, 6-3. This victory adds to their impressive record this season, having won three other tournaments together.
Kasatkina Faces Setback in Singles Final
While the doubles competitions saw Russian players flourish, Daria Kasatkina faced disappointment in the singles final against Brazil's Beatriz Haddad-Maia in Seoul. Despite a strong start and winning the first set, Kasatkina faltered in the second and third sets, ultimately losing the match. This defeat marked her fourth loss in finals at WTA tournaments this year, highlighting a challenging season for the Russian tennis star.
Rising Star Alibek Kachmazov Makes Waves in Chengdu
In a noteworthy development, 22-year-old Alibek Kachmazov from Vladikavkaz has emerged as a promising talent in the ATP circuit, making headlines with his performance at the Chengdu tournament. Ranked 252nd, Kachmazov advanced to the main draw through qualifications and has impressively defeated several higher-ranked opponents, including Aleksandar Kovacevic and Nicolas Jarry, without dropping a single set. His coach, Andrey Olkhovsky, believes that Kachmazov has the potential to become a regular on the ATP tour, emphasizing the importance of confidence in his game. Kachmazov is set to face top-seeded Italian Lorenzo Musetti in the next round, which will be a significant test for the rising star.
