ABU DHABI: Olympic champion Belinda Bencic saved three match points to defeat Liudmila Samsonova in the Abu Dhabi final on Sunday for the eighth title of her career.The 25-year-old world number nine came through 1-6, 7-6 (10/8), 6-4, saving the three championship points in a marathon second-set tiebreak.It was Bencic’s second title of 2023 after her win in Adelaide while she also became the tour leader in match-wins this season, with her 12 passing Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka.”It’s been a really tight match, and I’m happy to turn these match points around,” said Bencic.”I just really tried hanging in there and scramble for every point, and just do my best. I proved to myself that I can really fight hard and just stay in the matches and somehow turn it around.”Bencic defeated 19th-ranked Russian player Samsonova for the first time in four meetings having lost in the 2021 Berlin final, Luxembourg and the Billie Jean King Cup Finals.Before Sunday, Samsonova was a perfect 4-0 in championship matches.