DUBAI – Despite the withdrawal of Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina due to illness, the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships continue to deliver high-stakes drama as defending champion Mirra Andreeva advances to a captivating quarterfinal showdown.
The 18-year-old Russian phenom, who became the youngest WTA 1000 champion in history with her Dubai triumph last year, secured her place in the final eight with a hard-fought 7-5, 6-3 victory over Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian in a match featuring an extraordinary 13 service breaks.
Andreeva now faces American powerhouse Amanda Anisimova, the reigning Wimbledon champion, who demonstrated dominant form with a commanding 6-1, 6-3 dismissal of Indonesian wildcard Janice Tjen in just 70 minutes.
The defending champion acknowledged her imperfect performance after experiencing disrupted preparation due to Daria Kasatkina’s late withdrawal, which granted her a walkover in the second round following a first-round bye. ‘It’s kind of breaking the rhythm of your play a little bit,’ Andreeva admitted. ‘I was pretty far from perfect today, but I’m super happy that I stayed focused and tried to reset for every single point.’
Andreeva now stands at the threshold of history, seeking to join tennis legends Justine Henin, Venus Williams, and Elina Svitolina as only the fourth player to claim consecutive Dubai titles. ‘I feel so much more motivated here than any tournament,’ she revealed. ‘I’m going to give it all tomorrow.’
In other quarterfinal action, Lucky Loser Antonia Ruzic capitalized on Rybakina’s withdrawal, advancing when the Russia-born Kazakh retired after Ruzic claimed the second set 6-4. The Austrian will face Svitolina, who prevailed in a three-set battle against Swiss opponent Belinda Bencic 4-6, 6-1, 6-3.
Meanwhile, Denmark’s Clara Tauson, last year’s Dubai finalist, delivered an impressive performance with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Poland’s Magda Linette. Tauson will next confront fourth-seeded American Jessica Pegula, who overpowered rising star Iva Jovic 6-4, 6-2.