The 36-year-old Gasquet did not play in the semi-finals due to the default of his compatriot Constant Lestienne (ATP 65), who is struggling with a chest injury. Gasquet eliminated David Goffin (ATP 53) in the quarterfinals. He won fifteen titles earlier in his career, the last of which was in ‘s-Hertogenbosch in 2018. In Auckland, the French veteran thus grabbed his sixteenth trophy.
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It was his twelfth ATP final for 27-year-old Norrie. He also achieved his first four years ago in Auckland, when he lost to the American Tennys Sandgren. He won the tournaments in Los Cabos and Indian Wells (in 2021) and Delray Beach and Lyon (in 2022).
Bencic trumps Kasatkina for the overall win
The Swiss Belinda Bencic (WTA 13) has won the WTA500 tournament in Adelaide (hard/780,637 dollars) in Australia.
Bencic, the eighth seed, defeated the Russian Daria Kasatkina (WTA 8), the fifth seed, in two quick sets in the final on Saturday: 6-0 and 6-2. The game lasted 1 hour and 9 minutes.
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Remarkable: both players received their place in the final as a gift. After all, the semi-finals fell through after injuries to the Spanish Paula Badosa (WTA 11), who would fight Kasatkina, and the Russian Veronika Kudermetova (WTA 9), Bencic’s opponent. Badosa had to drop out of her semi-final with a thigh injury, Kudermetova forfeited her semi-final with a hip injury.
The 25-year-old Bencic pocketed her seventh WTA title. Last year she was the best in Charleston. She also has two WTA 125K Series Titles to her credit. A seventh title was also at stake for the also 25-year-old Kasatkina.
Qualifier Lauren Davis takes second overall win
The American Lauren Davis (WTA 84) has won the WTA250 tournament in Hobart, Australia (hard/259,303 dollars).
Davis defeated the Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto (WTA 67) in the final on Saturday in two sets: 7-6 (7/0) and 6-2. The game lasted 1 hour and 48 minutes.
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The 29-year-old Davis, who worked her way into the main draw in Hobart through qualifying, played her fifth WTA final (including WTA 125K Series Titles) on Saturday, the first in just over four years. She was only able to win the final battle in Auckland in 2017, so now she takes her second title. Davis knocked out Ysaline Bonaventure (WTA 92) in Hobart in the second round.
The 21-year-old Cocciaretto was hunting for her second WTA title, after her overall victory in Tampico, Mexico last year (WTA 125K Series). In her semifinal, the Italian settled with American Sofia Kenin (WTA 280), winner of the Australian Open in 2020 and too strong for Maryna Zanevska (WTA 87) in Hobart in the second round.