Polish Świłętek Nominees

«Tennis Dubai» on a date with a new champion

Czech Krejcikova eliminates Australian Open champion Sabalenka and reaches the semi-finals of Dubai Tennis. Cinematographer: Patrick Castillo

The Dubai Tennis Championship for professional players is on a date with a new champion, after the success of the world number 30, Czech Barbora Krejcikova, in eliminating the last champions who had previously crowned Barbora beat her compatriot and Dubai champion in 2013, Petra Kvitova, ranked 12th in the world in two sets without a response (6-2 and 6-3), in a match that brought them together in the round of 16, in the tournament currently held in its 23rd edition, and the curtain falls on it the day after tomorrow, with prizes of $ 2.9 million.

Kvitova joined the list of stars who had previously crowned the title of «Tennis Dubai», and bid farewell to the 23rd edition, after the same round witnessed the loss of last year's defending champion Elena Ostapenko, ranked 20 in the world, to Belarusian Elena Sabalenka, ranked second in the world by two sets for one set (6-2, 1-6, 1-6), and preceded by the departure of the 2019 champion Belinda Bencic at the hands of the surprise tournament ranked 112 in the world Czech Karolina Muchova, losing Belinda in two sets without a response (1-6 and 4-6).

The farewell of the crowned champions paved the way for the birth of the 16th star historically, who succeeds in raising the «Dubai Dallah», and won the title of «Tennis Dubai» for professional players since its inception in 2001, and join the golden list that includes the Belgian record holder Justin Hennen, who has four titles (2003, 2004, 2006 and 2007), the trilogy of American Venus Williams (2009, 2019 and 2014), and the double of Romanian Simona Halep (2015 and 2020), Ukrainian Elina Svitolina (2017 and 2018), and a single title for each of Swiss Martina Hings 2001, French Emily Mirsmo 2002, American Lindsay Davenbot 2005, Russian Elena Dementeva 2008, Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki 2011, Poland's Agnieszka Radvincica 2012, Czech Peter Kavitova 2013, Italian Sara Irani 2016, Swiss Belinda Bencic 2019, Spain's Garbiñe Muguruza 2021, and Latvian Elena H 2022.

Yesterday, the quarter-final competitions were held, and the Polish world number one Iga Świętek approached the dream of grabbing her first title historically in Dubai, and confirming that she is the most prominent candidate to raise the «Dallah Dubai», especially that the Polish Iga easily crossed to the semi-finals, after the withdrawal of her Czech rival Karolina Bilshkova, ranked 18 in the world, to injury.

The world number one, Romanian Iga Świętık, hit a date today in the semi-finals against the sixth seed on the world American Coco Gough, after Gough in turn managed to cross the golden square by winning at the end of the quarter-finals over her compatriot Maidson Keys, ranked 23 in the world, by two sets without a response (6-2 and 7-5) in a meeting that lasted an hour and 21 minutes.

The surprises continued their way to the quarterfinals, after the beauty ranked 30 in the world, Czech Barbora Krejcikova succeeded in eliminating the champion (Australian Open), and the second seed on the world Belarusian Elena Sabalenka, in a match in which Sabalenka advanced in the first set (6-1), before Krejcikova was able to win the second set with difficulty (7-6), and followed by the Czech to resolve the third set and the playoff (6-1) in a confrontation that lasted an hour and 56 minutes, and meet Czech Barbora in the semi-finals, the winner of a surprise meeting Czech tournament Karolina Muchova, ranked 112 in the world in front of American Jessica Pegula, ranked third in the world, which took place late yesterday evening.

Karachik and Schores to doubles semi-finals

The duo of American Decera Karachik and Dutch Denny Schors qualified for the semi-finals of the Dubai Women's Tennis Women's Doubles competition, after successfully overcoming the quarter-finals, beating the duo of Romanian Nicolas Nicolescu and Belgian Kimberly Zimmermann in two sets without reply (6-0, 6-4) in a match that lasted for 61 minutes.

Karachik and Shoors face today in the golden box the Chinese duo Hao Chi Chan and her teammate Weltisha Dan, after the Chinese doubles managed to book his seat by eliminating the American duo Jessica Pegula and Coco Gough from the quarterfinals, and winning two sets without reply (6-1 and 6-3) in a match that lasted for an hour and 22 minutes.