The Russian, who easily pocketed the first set 6-1, could have folded the final in straight sets but could not convert any of her three match points in the tie-break of the second set, ultimately winning 10 points to 8 by the Swiss.
The 9th in the world won in the end 1-6, 7-6 (10/8), 6-4 in 2 hours and 48 minutes of play.
At 25, Belinda Bencic wins her second tournament in 2023, after her victory in Adelaide (Australia) in January against the Russian Daria Kasatkina (8th in the world).
She is now the player on the circuit with the most victories this season, with 12 wins, one more than Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, winner of the Australian Open.
In four confrontations, it is also the first time that Bencic has won against Samsonova.
Russian Liudmila Samsonova in the final of the Abu Dhabi tournament against Swiss Belinda Bencic on February 12, 2023 in Abu Dhabi © Ryan LIM / AFP
The Russian was playing the fifth final of her career.
She had won the first four.
© 2023 AFP