AFP, Seoul :
Brazil’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 Sunday’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.