Ningbo Open champion Daria Kasatkina shows class as she interrupts teenage star's speech

Daria Kasatkina showed her class on Sunday following her victory in the final of the 500 Ningbo Open.

The Russian saw off the challenge of fellow countrywoman Mirra Andreeva to secure the victory. Kasatkina claimed the opening set in style with a bagel before Andreeva responded to level the tie with a 6-4 success in the second.

The teen then looked set to turn the game on its head when racing into a 3-0 lead in the third set and had the opportunity to extend her lead to 5-1 on one occasion as well. However, Kasatkina's experience shone through as she found her rhythm to win the deciding set 6-4.

Andreeva was distraught with how she had capitulated late on and struggled to compose herself when speaking in the post-match trophy presentation, which prompted a touching moment between the teen and Kasatkina.

The pair have developed a strong friendship in recent times and are often found together away from the court.

Kasatkina was sitting on her bench courtside when she noticed that Andreeva had become emotional on stage and quickly raced to comfort her friend. The pair embraced on the stage as Kasatkina whispered words of encouragement after a solid performance in the final.

The hug and positive reinforcement from her friend appeared to settle Andreeva, who then concluded her interview by apologising for being reduced to tears.

She said: "I really tried not to cry because I knew the pictures would be ugly but I just couldn't help myself, I'm sorry guys."

Speaking after collecting her winner's trophy, Kasatkina wasted no time in praising Andreeva for her performances and admitted that her third-set turnaround was against the odds. She said:

"It's been a very, very tough week, honestly. All the matches were super tough. In the quarterfinal I came back from two match points down, and today from 3-0, almost 4-0 [down] in the third set.

"So this trophy means a lot because I worked on many challenges during this week, and I'm really proud of myself. In the first set, I gave everything, I was super focused, and the level was so high. But obviously, after that, I dropped a little bit, and Mirra was already there, ready to take it over. She's this kind of player who never gives up, and to win any point, you have to almost die on court. It was the case, and honestly I feel like it's a miracle, the third set."