Tag Archives: ASB Classic

Rebeka Masarova Defeats Ysaline Bonaventure to Reach ASB Classic Final

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Rebeka Masarova has reached her first WTA final…

The 23-year-old half-Spanish Swiss tennis player defeated fellow qualifier Ysaline Bonaventure 6-3, 6-3 in a rain-delayed encounter to reach the final at the ASB Classic in Auckland.

Rebeka MasarovaMasarova stunned former US Open champion Sloane Stephens in the first round while Bonaventure took out third seed and 2021 US Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez in the quarterfinal.

Masarova, currently ranked No. 130 in the world, broke in game four of the second set and then raced into a 5-1 lead in the second set on the back of two breaks. Bonaventure got one break back in game eight only for the Spaniard to break again and wrap up the match.

“It feels amazing, I’m high on emotions right now, so I’m super happy,” Masarova said. “I like to think always that I can do more than I think I’m capable of doing. I just took it a match at a time.”

She’ll next play American Coco Gauff in the final of the rain-hampered tournament.

Masarova is the 2016 French Open junior champion.

Maria Sanchez & Asia Muhammad Win the WTA Coupe Banque Nationale’s Women’s Doubles Title

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Maria Sanchez is back in the winner’s circle…

The 28-year-old Latina tennis player and her doubles partner Asia Muhammad defeated Croatia’s Darija Jurak and Switzerland’s Xenia Knoll to win the WTA Coupe Banque Nationale women’s doubles title.

Maria Sanchez

The unranked Sanchez and Muhammad defeated the tournament’s No. 2 seeds in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3.

It’s Sanchez’s second WTA title, her first since winning the ASB Classic in 2014.

Roberto Bautista Agut Beats Juan Martin del Potro to Claim Title at ASB Classic

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Roberto Bautista Agut is back in the winner’s circle at the ASB Classic…

The 29-year-old Spanish professional tennis player beat former champion Juan Martin del Potro 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 on Saturday to win the ATP Tour tournament for the second time in three years.

Roberto Bautista Agut

Fifth seed Bautista Agut, who won the title in 2016, outlasted second-seed del Potro, the 2009 champion, in a match of remarkable highs and lows.

Bautista Agut swept through the first set in only 31 minutes as del Potro seemed to struggle in warm conditions on a packed center court. But del Potro took advantage of the only break point of the second set to level the match.

The advantage in the third set went one way then the other until Bautista Agut broke del Potro to lead 6-5, then saved a break point to win the match in 2 hours, 7 minutes.

Later, an emotional Bautista Agut dedicated his victory to his family in Spain.

“It feels wonderful,” he said. “It was an unbelievable match today. I’ve been fighting a lot on the court, and I couldn’t believe I was playing my best tennis.

“Today I felt really good on the court, and I played very good tennis throughout the match. Juan Martin is a great champion, he’s very tough to beat, and I played two amazing games in the last two games of the match.”

del Potro said he found it difficult to play in humid conditions in the daytime Saturday after playing his previous matches at night.

“When I had to play in the sun it was very tough for me,” del Potro said. “Roberto started very well. He moved so much better than me from the baseline.

“And then I think my game improved a little bit. I couldn’t play any better, but Roberto did well at the end of the match, and I made some mistakes.”

David Ferrer Advances to the Semifinals at the ASB Classic

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David Ferrer is two wins away from a handful of titles in Auckland…

The 35-year-old Spanish tennis player, a four-time champion at the ATP Tour‘s ASB Classic, has advanced to the semifinals at the tournament for the eighth time after defeating South Korea’s Hyeon Chung 6-3, 6-2 in Thursday’s quarterfinals.

David Ferrer

Ferrer’s semifinal opponent will be another former champion, second-seeded Juan Martin del Potro, who beat Russia’s Karen Khachanov 7-6 (4), 6-3.

del Potro looked in top form ahead of the Australian Open with his second straight-sets victory, having beaten Canadian teenage star Denis Shapovalov 6-2, 6-4 in the second round. In two matches in Auckland, 2009 champion del Potro has yet to concede a break point.

“Of course I’m happy to get through. He’s one of the toughest guys on tour,” del Potro said. “Today’s match was so close. He hits the ball so hard and we play long rallies, big points and I think I took all my chances to win.”

Another former champion, fifth-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut, will face Robin Haase of the Netherlands in the other semifinal. Bautista Agut defeated Jiri Vesely 7-6 (1), 6-1 on Thursday while Haase beat Germany’s Peter Gojowczyk 6-4, 6-4.