Spirited Haddad Maia roars back to beat Kasatkina in Korea Open final

AFP/SeoulBrazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia won the fourth title of her career with a furious fightback to beat Russian top seed Daria Kasatkina 1-6, 6-4, 6-1 in yesterday’s Korea Open final.Number three seed Haddad Maia lost the opening set in just 26 minutes but turned the tide in the second, before going on to close out the match in a gutsy performance in Seoul.It was the world number 17’s first title since June 2022."I know that tennis changes everything very fast,” said Haddad Maia. "I was competing better at the end of the second set and then my tennis appeared. I finished in the way that I wanted and I think I deserved this win.”Kasatkina, ranked 13, has now lost four of her five finals this year.She said "losing in the final can feel worse than losing in the first round”. "It’s tough, especially being up in the final, but she definitely raised the level after the first set,” said Kasatkina."The match was pretty good but then she was better in the third set.”Neither player had dropped a set on their way to the Seoul decider and both played two matches on Saturday, after heavy rain wiped out the previous day’s play.Kasatkina won her quarter-final after opponent Emma Raducanu retired injured after the first set.Kasatkina broke Haddad Maia twice on the way to winning the first set.She broke her opponent again in the first game of the second set and held serve, before Haddad Maia began to threaten for the first time in the match.The momentum shifted when the 28-year-old Haddad Maia broke back midway through the second set and then took the lead for the first time.The Brazilian argued a call with the umpire but kept her cool to take the second set."I was just trying to play every point,” she said."I was improving and I think that was the key, to be calm and just play tennis.”Haddad Maia went a break up in the third and stayed ahead as Kasatkina began to crumble.Haddad Maia broke again and closed out the final when Kasatkina hit a return long."I feel stronger, I feel that I’m very competitive now,” said Haddad Maia."I’m in a good moment, ready for the next week. I feel that I’m doing very good things, working hard."Let’s see what the end of the season brings to me,” she added.The Korea Open was being played as a WTA 500 tournament for the first time.It was hit by a string of last-minute withdrawals including world number one Iga Swiatek, US Open runner-up Jessica Pegula and former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina.