Kasatkina: "This trophy means a lot, I'm very proud of myself".
Daria Kasatkina won the Ningbo tournament (WTA 500) on Sunday. In the final, the Russian beat her young compatriot Mirra Andreeva in almost two hours and three sets (6-0, 4-6, 6-4). At 27, she wins the 8th title of her career, her second this season.
Kasatkina was obviously delighted with her performance, especially as she had to battle hard all week. Particularly in the quarter-finals, where she had to save two match points against Yulia Putintseva (6-4, 1-6, 7-6[6]). That's what she told us after the final.
Daria Kasatkina: "It's been a very, very difficult week, to be honest. All the matches were very difficult. In the quarter-finals, I came back from two match points down, and today I came back from 3-0 down, almost 4-0 in the third set.
So this trophy means a lot, because I overcame a lot of challenges during the week, and I'm really proud of myself.
In the first set, I gave it my all, I was very focused and the level was very high. But after that, my rhythm dropped a little and Mirra was already there, ready to take over.
She's the kind of player who never gives up, and to win a point you almost have to die on the court. That was the case, and honestly, I feel like the third set was a miracle.
I think that in terms of consistency, this year has been my best. Mentally, off the court too, so I'm pretty happy with myself, the way we're doing our job, and the way things are going. There's nothing to complain about, that's for sure."