Haddad Maia beats top-seeded Kasatkina to win Korea Open

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Beatriz Haddad Maia stormed back to beat top-seeded Daria Kasatkina 1-6, 6-4, 6-1 in the Korea Open final on Sunday to win her first WTA tour title of the season.

It is the fourth title of the No. 3 seed’s career and caps a strong run of form by the Brazilian player who has now won 12 of her last 14 matches, a stretch that includes advancing to the final in Cleveland and the quarterfinals of the US Open.

The victory also improved Haddad Maia’s career record against Kasatkina to 3-1.

The Russian player started strongly and took just 26 minutes to secure the first set and appeared to be on track for a quick victory after breaking Haddad Maia to take a 2-0 lead in the second. But Haddad Maia stormed back to take the set.

Haddad Maia then broke Kasatkina in the fourth game to take a 3-1 lead and cruised to victory in an hour and 50 minutes.

The quarterfinals and semifinals of the tournament were played on Saturday because rain washed out all action Friday.

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Beatriz Haddad Maia, right, of Brazil holds her trophy with runner-up Daria Kasatkina of Russia after their final match of the Korea Open tennis championships at Olympic Park Tennis Court in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil holds up her trophy after defeating Daria Kasatkina of Russia during their final match of the Korea Open tennis championships at Olympic Park Tennis Court in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil returns a shot to Daria Kasatkina of Russia during their final match of the Korea Open tennis championships at Olympic Park Tennis Court in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Daria Kasatkina of Russia reacts after a play against Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil during their final match of the Korea Open tennis championships at Olympic Park Tennis Court in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Daria Kasatkina of Russia returns a shot to Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil during their final match of the Korea Open tennis championships at Olympic Park Tennis Court in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil reacts after a play against Daria Kasatkina of Russia during their final match of the Korea Open tennis championships at Olympic Park Tennis Court in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil holds her trophy after defeating Daria Kasatkina of Russia during their final match of the Korea Open tennis championships at Olympic Park Tennis Court in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Several top staffers in North Carolina Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson's campaign for governor have quit their posts, marking more fallout from a CNN report outlining evidence that he made disturbing posts on a pornography website’s message board more than a decade ago.

The campaign said in a news release Sunday that senior adviser Conrad Pogorzelski III, campaign manager Chris Rodriguez, the campaign's finance director and the deputy campaign manager “have stepped down from their roles with the campaign.” Information on new campaign staffers would be forthcoming soon, the release said.

“I appreciate the efforts of these team members who have made the difficult choice to step away from the campaign, and I wish them well in their future endeavors," Robinson said in the release.

Pogorzelski, who helped Robinson get elected lieutenant governor in 2020 in his first bid for public office and later became his chief of staff, said separately on Sunday that additional staffers also left the campaign — the deputy finance director, two political directors and the director of operations.

Pogorzelski, in a text, said that he “along with others from the campaign have left of our own accord.”

The CNN report on Thursday unearthed past posts it said Robinson left on a porn site’s message boards in which he referred to himself as a “black NAZI;" said he enjoyed transgender pornography; said in 2012 he preferred Hitler to then-President Barack Obama; and slammed the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. as “worse than a maggot.”

Robinson denied writing the posts and said Thursday that he wouldn’t be forced out of the race by “salacious tabloid lies.” He avoided directly discussing the controversy during a gubernatorial campaign event on Saturday evening at a race track in Fayetteville. The event happened after earlier in the day former President Donald Trump didn't mention Robinson at a rally about 90 miles (145 kilometers) away in Wilmington.

Before Saturday, Robinson had been a frequent presence at Trump’s North Carolina campaign stops. The Republican presidential nominee has long praised Robinson — who would be North Carolina's first Black governor if elected — calling him “Martin Luther King on steroids” for his speaking style.

On Sunday, Robinson still expressed optimism that he could win in November over Democratic nominee Josh Stein, the sitting attorney general. Polls have shown Robinson trailing Stein.

But Robinson said polls have “underestimated Republican support in North Carolina for several cycles,” and with a large portion of the electorate undecided “I am confident our campaign remains in a strong position to make our case to the voters and win on November 5.”

Robinson has a long history of making inflammatory comments, including suggesting women who sought abortion “weren’t responsible enough to keep your skirt down” and comparing abortion to slavery.

Stein said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” that Robinson is “utterly unqualified, unfit to be the governor of North Carolina, and we’re going to do everything in our power to keep that from happening.”

Polls show Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris locked in a close race in North Carolina and nationally. Democrats have seized on the opportunity to highlight Trump’s ties to Robinson, with billboards showing the two together and a new ad from Harris’ campaign highlighting the Republican candidates’ ties, as well as Robinson’s support for a statewide abortion ban without exceptions.

On Sunday, Republican U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, of South Carolina, said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that Robinson deserves a chance to defend himself against the allegations, which Graham described as “unnerving.” He said Robinson is “a political zombie if he does not offer a defense to this that’s credible,” while arguing the issue wouldn’t hurt Trump.

“If they’re true, he’s unfit to serve for office,” Graham said of Robinson and the claims in the CNN report. “If they’re not true, he has the best lawsuit in the history of the country for libel.”

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Associated Press writer Jonathan Mattise in Nashville, Tennessee, contributed to this report.

North Carolina's Robinson, omitted from Trump rally, avoids comment on report about online posts

North Carolina's Robinson, omitted from Trump rally, avoids comment on report about online posts

FILE - North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Asheville, N.C., Aug. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)