Tennis News

DUBAI, UAE – Another Dubai seed was sent packing in a day rife with upsets as Elina Svitolina notched one of the biggest wins of her career against No.2 Garbiñe Muguruza at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

Muguruza, who had won the pair’s previous two encounters, came out of the gates looking dominant, imposing her powerful game against her No.21-ranked opponent. But as the first set progressed, Muguruza’s trusted groundstrokes began to misfire and Svitolina found her way into the match.

The Ukrainian emerged victorious after a tough opening set, but it wasn’t without a battle. Svitolina had several chances to close out the set – at 5-4 and again at 6-5 – but was broken each time, sending it into a tiebreak. After over an hour and 15 minutes – during which Muguruza hit 40 unforced errors and 17 winners to Svitolina’s 18 to six – Svitolina closed it out 7-6(3).

“It was really tough and as you can see for both of us it was really a battle,” Svitolina told Annabel Croft after the match. “I’m happy I could win that [first] set – because it was up and down, really a rollercoaster.” 

The final set was all Svitolina, who tamped down all of Muguruza’s attempts at a late comeback to clinch the match 7-6(3), 6-3.

“It was tough, and even more fighting against the conditions, too, I think,” Svitolina said. “I think I returned really well today and that was the key – I was seeing the ball really well and moving well, so this was the main thing I was focused on.”

Not only is the win Svitolina’s second career victory over a Top 5 player, it’s also an early sign that her new coaching partnership is paying off. Last week she announced that former No.1 Justine Henin had joined her coaching team.

Awaiting Svitolina in the quarterfinals is American CoCo Vandeweghe, who overcame Kristina Mladenovic 7-5, 3-6, 6-4.

More to come…

DUBAI, UAE – Ana Ivanovic produced another terrific performance at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships to knock out top seed and defending champion Simona Halep.

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In the previous round Ivanovic dropped a solitary game, and she was every bit as impressive against Halep, booking her place in the quarterfinals with a 7-6(2), 6-2 win.

“Honestly, I’m delighted,” Ivanovic said. “It was a great battle in the first set, and she’s such a great player and I really had to raise my game, which I think I did. It was not easy but I’m really thrilled to be through.”

Heavy rain meant the players did not get on court until after 8pm. When they did finally emerge, another interruption was soon forthcoming, as the ball kids hastily tried to towel down the still-damp baseline.

On the resumption, Halep started brightest, opening up a 5-3 lead. However, with the set at her mercy she tightened, netting a couple of routine groundstrokes to surrender her advantage.

With her tail now up, Ivanovic produced some sparkling tennis to take the tie-break before racing through the second set.

“I was a little but anxious because it was stop and go. I think we both wanted to continue playing but it was a little bit slippery. I needed to stay calm and I’m glad I managed to do that,” Ivanovic added when quizzed about the second interruption.

Barbora Strycova, a 2-6, 6-3, 6-1 winner over Julia Goerges earlier in the day, awaits in the quarterfinals, and Ivanovic expects another testing outing.

“She beat Julia, who is playing great, so it’s going to be a tough match,” Ivanovic added. “We’ve played a few times before, but I’m not really thinking about that at the moment.”

DUBAI, UAE – Ana Ivanovic fired a warning shot to the rest the draw at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Tuesday, dismantling Daria Gavrilova in under an hour.

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After a difficult start to the year, Ivanovic showed signs of recovery during a run to the semifinals in St. Petersburg, and carried on from where she left off against Gavrilova.

Ivanovic utilized the fast conditions to devastating effect, 19 winners (offset by just 16 unforced errors) helping her to a 6-1, 6-0 victory.

In their previous meeting, last year in Rome, Gavrilova had prevailed in a rollercoaster, but it was clear early on that the rematch would be rather more brief.

A string of unforced errors, culminating in a double fault, saw Gavrilova surrender serve in the second game. While she broke back immediately, the Australian was powerless in the face of Ivanovic’s onslaught.

The former World No.1 struck early in the second set, too, a couple of sweetly timed backhands bringing a break in the first game. With the forehand, usually the barometer for the Serb’s game, also firing on all cylinders, from here a comeback never looked on the cards.

“We played once before and it was a battle on clay, so I knew it was a tough match and I had to step up because I knew she’s a great mover and she strikes the ball really well,” Ivanovic said.

“Here the ball flies a little bit, so I tried to use that to my advantage and move forward a little bit. And I did that very well and was very aggressive on my returns, so overall I’m very happy.”

Her reward is a meeting with defending champion and top seed Simona Halep, an opponent Ivanovic is excited to pit her improving game against.

“Yeah, definitely. You want to play against the best and challenge yourself. We’ve had battles in the past but it’s going to be a tough one.”

Other winners in the afternoon session were Elina Svitolina and Barbora Strycova. In her first match since announcing the addition to Justine Henin to her coaching team, Svitolina was in fine form during a 6-3, 6-1 victory over qualifier Jana Cepelova. The Ukrainian faces No.2 seed Garbiñe Muguruza in the second round.

Strycova was pushed slightly harder, eventually seeing off Tsvetana Pironkova, 6-4, 6-3, to set up a clash with Julia Goerges.