Kasatkina battles past Andreeva to win Ningbo Open

Daria Kasatkina fought previous her good buddy Mirra Andreeva to win the Ningbo Open title in China.

Russian fifth seed Kasatkina beat her teenage compatriot 6-0 4-6 6-4 in a scrappy encounter.

Andreeva broke down in tears after the match, having squandered a 3-0 lead within the ultimate set.

Nonetheless, she was shortly comforted by Kasatkina, earlier than joking: “I actually tried to not cry as a result of I knew the photographs could be ugly however I simply could not assist myself, I am sorry guys.”

World quantity 11 Kasatkina seemed to be cruising after making simply two unforced errors in a dominant opening set.

Andreeva, 17, produced a stirring comeback and seemed in management after successful the primary three video games of the deciding set.

However Kasatkina capitalised on a sequence of unforced errors, successful 5 video games in a row earlier than serving out victory.

Andreeva, who reached the semi-finals of the French Open this yr and claimed doubles silver on the Olympic Video games in Paris, had been bidding for a second profession singles title.

Kasatkina, in the meantime, had misplaced 4 singles finals this yr – with Andreeva jokingly congratulating her for “lastly closing one out”.

“Thanks for reminding me that I misplaced so many finals this yr,” Kasatkina mentioned afterwards.

And he or she added: “Congratulations on the ultimate, I noticed you crying however you’re going to make numerous them. I hope we are going to share some extra of them sooner or later.”

It’s a second title of the yr for Kasatkina after successful Eastbourne in June and the eighth singles triumph of her profession.

On the Nordic Open in Stockholm, Nice Britain’s Harry Patten claimed a fourth males’s doubles title in his first yr with new companion Harri Heliovaara, of Finland.

The highest seeds noticed off Czech pair Petr Nouza and Patrik Rikl 7-5 6-3 in Sunday’s ultimate.