Abu Dhabi : Czech qualifier Sara Bejlek claimed her first career title on Saturday after defeating second seed Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia 7-6(5) 6-1 in the final of the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open.
The 20-year-old, ranked 101st in the world, pulled clear after a tightly contested opening set to secure the WTA 500 trophy in one hour and 39 minutes. Bejlek recovered from a 4-2 deficit in the tiebreak before dominating the second set, breaking Alexandrova’s serve three times.
Bejlek became the first qualifier and the first Czech player to win the tournament since its launch five years ago.
At the Transylvania Open, third seed Sorana Cirstea delighted the home crowd with a 6-0 6-2 victory over top-seeded Emma Raducanu of Britain in the final in Cluj-Napoca.
Cirstea needed just 63 minutes to seal her fourth career title, denying Raducanu her first tournament victory since the 2021 U.S. Open. The 35-year-old, who has announced that 2026 will be her final season on the professional tour, struck six aces as Raducanu struggled with six double faults.
Raducanu managed only one winner and committed 19 unforced errors in a one-sided opening set, while Cirstea closed out the match by winning the final four games.
