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Bencic reaches first Tour final since maternity leave

Belinda Bencic reached her first WTA Tour final since returning from maternity leave with a surprise victory over Elena Rybakina at the Abu Dhabi Open.

The Swiss former Olympic champion clinched a 3-6 6-3 6-4 triumph over world number five Rybakina in two hours and six minutes.

Bencic welcomed her daughter, Bella, in April 2024, and returned from a 13-month break from the tour six months later.

The 27-year-old's win over Kazakhstan's Rybakina was her first against a top-five opponent since she became a mother, and she will face American Ashlyn Krueger in Sunday's final.