Aryna Sabalenka remains flawless in her three set win over Jelena Ostapenko

Aryna Sabalenka clenches her fist during her round of 16 match at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

Aryna Sabalenka improved to 13-0, moving on at the Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championship Wednesday night. The second seed added Jelena Ostapenko to the long list of players she has defeated this season, winning 2-6, 6-1, 6-1 on center court at the Dubai Tennis Stadium. Her dangerous forehands from beginning to end kept her flawless once more to enter the quarterfinals.

It was the second meeting between the two stars and the first for Sabalenka since she lifted the Australian Open title back in Melbourne. The newly ranked world number two did well in her match against Lauren Davis, smashing the American with an 88 percent first-serve performance. She allowed just one win during that victory that put her square in the face of Ostapenko. The Latvian went back to back in dominant performances, limiting the double faults while schooling her last two opponents. With this being the biggest challenge of her tournament, the defending champion had much to do to defeat the second seed and keep her repeat title hopes kicking.

The Latvian opened the match, breaking the 24-year-old’s service only to lose out on her own in the second. She continued with the breaks of serve in the third, pressuring Sabalenka to falter on returns in the competition. It worked out for Ostapenko on serve in the fourth, who managed to get the second serve winning points and hold off another break. The Latvian succeeded in a triple break of the second seed getting deep into the rallies before laying out the crosscourt winners.

Sitting ahead 4-1, Ostapenko kept her focus and returned to service, dealing with a couple errors from her side. At deuce, the 13th seed locked in and scored the game to lead 5-1 and go for the set. Sabalenka fought to hold serve for the first time in the set yet faced a long journey to recover. She didn’t make it easy for Ostapenko in the eighth game where she served for the set, but on a challenge for the AD point, the Latvian fired a winner that came back long. She became the second player this season to win a set over the 24-year-old and did so in 37 minutes.

The second was a turnaround for the second seed, who conducted a service hold and broke Ostapenko going forward. The 24-year-old consolidated for a 3-0 grip of the set, making it look as she would force a decider. The 13th seed tried to get a service game locked up but suffered a double fault and an error into the net. It brought the score to deuce where after two breaks, she got a win to move within two games of her opponent.

Sabalenka didn’t let that happen, winning the next two games while holding Ostapenko to 15 in each victory. On serve in the seventh, the second seed held Ostapenko twice, winning the set on the first break of deuce. It was a 32-minute improvement by the 24-year-old, who made the decider critical for both to perform well. Sabalenka won 14 of 18 from the first serve and returned best from the second.

The Latvian opened the deciding set, playing five points against the second seed before she was shut out in the second, leveling the score. Sabalenka fought through 11 points played in the third, breaking Ostapenko. The 24-year-old backed up the break for a 3-1 lead before holding her side of the court through another one of the Latvian’s service games. Sabalenka almost had a second shutout in line until an error brought Ostapenko into it. 

She still managed to lock it up and lead 5-1 showing tremendous momentum. The second seed waited her time to strike on the ball, reach match point, and gain a second chance on a return winner. Ostapenko gifted the victory on her seventh double fault securing the win for the reigning Australian Open champion in 1 hour and 40 minutes.

Karolina Muchova outshines Belinda Bencic in straight sets

Karolina Muchova fires off a forehand serve during her round of 16 match at the Dubai Duty-Free Tennis championships.

Karolina Muchova outmatched the competition at the Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championships Wednesday. The Czech played a stronger level of offense against Belinda Bencic, who struggled to find the energy, going down 6-1, 6-4 on Court One at the Dubai Tennis Stadium.  

The Swiss star had a massive challenge right off the bat in Dubai, playing in the second-longest match of the year. Bencic went almost three and a half hours against Marta Kostyuk, running away with the final set comfortably. Muchova fared better in her second-round match against Sorana Cirstea, who she overcame a break against a top player in the competition. While the eighth seed carried a 2-0 series lead over the Czech, her fatigue played a factor in whether she could hold up in less than 24 hours.

The 26-year-old opened with a near-perfect service, only to see Bencic get into the game. The Czech held serve, then faced the eighth seed and what she brought to the court. Muchova responded with a strong service in the third, allowing Bencic a lone point. She then scored the break for a 3-1 lead on the Swiss and backed up the win on serve in the fifth. Muchova tallied the double break right before she sealed up the set with ease after 33 minutes. Three double faults and 14 unforced errors for Bencic were a problem to fix fast, but fatigue had made its impact.

The Swiss star left the court to try and regroup before Muchova opened the second set facing Bencic’s service. The eighth seed took the opening game with a stronger offense, allowing the Czech a point. The 26-year-old answered with a serve to love, but her opponent showed improvement. Bencic held to love in the third and tried to score a break in the fourth. Her efforts were challenged by Muchova, who didn’t want to give her a break back. After four breaks, the 26-year-old kept the score even but was aware that the competitive spirit in Bencic was alive.

Double faults ruined Bencic’s chances to defend her service game, handing Muchova a potential game-changer. She tallied a strong service game for the two-game buffer, winning 15 of the last 20 points played. Bencic tried to light a fire under her offense after saving a breakpoint. She forced deuce and held serve with forehand shots away from the Czech, putting herself a game down. Muchova suffered a setback on serve, handing Bencic the break that helped her level the score through eight games.

The Czech managed to gain a break back to become the first to reach 5-4 and serve for the match. She scored an ace in her quest to close out the set, scoring points on long returns from the Swiss. With two match points, Muchova ousted Bencic on a second attempt for an ace, ending the day in 1 hour and 25 minutes. It was her sixth ace of the day and with the first serve doing the heavy lifting, she could celebrate the upset.

Madison Keys breezes through Victoria Azarenka in straight sets.

Madison Keys celebrates a point during her round of 16 match at the the Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championships. 

Madison Keys coasted to an easy upset at the Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championships Wednesday. Victoria Azarenka had an ankle injury that hindered her best performance against the American, who took the win in a 6-2, 6-1 result on Centre Court at the Dubai Tennis Stadium. The 15th seed refused to retire and allow the match to go forward, fighting to play against the pain in her lower right leg.

The 33-year-old has a four-match lead against the American, who managed to send two of them to the distance. Keys made work of Caroline Garcia, who refused to allow intimidation to become a factor. The same is said of the former world number one, who put in a lot more time against Amanda Anisimova. With another American in her path, the 15th seed knew she could have another challenge by Keys like the one at Melbourne Park.

Keys opened the match with good shots to Azarenka, who struggled to get the ball over the net. After attaining the service, she watched Azarenka struggle as well, with a limp from her right ankle being taped up. The 15th seed held her end of the court, but the difference was noticeable as Keys swiftly took care of the third game. Azarenka stayed close on the score, but her movement lessened against the American, who was easily serving against the former world number one and gaining breakpoints the same.

With two games on Azarenka, Keys overcame a 0-30 gap to return stronger and hold serve for a three-game margin. Serving to stay in the set, the 15th seed tried her best to hit accurately and with strength, but running for the returns proved painful. At deuce, Keys was handed the AD point on Azarenka’s third double fault, closing out the first in 31 minutes. Her serve percentage reached 78 percent compared to Azarenka’s 54 and was outscored 29-18.

Keys opened the second much like the first, breaking Azarenka on her service in the second to consolidate. She picked up two more games against her opponent, closing in on her first-ever victory against the tennis veteran. After the break of the 15th seed, Keys easily capped the match, holding serve in the seventh to complete the upset in under an hour. With a spot in the quarterfinal, Keys could potentially faceoff against Coco Gauff or Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina in Thursday’s competition.

Belinda Bencic edges Marta Kostyuk in lengthy three setter

Belinda Bencic clenches her fist during her second round match with Marta Kostyuk at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. 

Belinda Bencic delivered a massive outpour of effort to come through a marathon match at the Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championship Tuesday. Marta Kostyuk gave the eighth seed an intense challenge from start to finish until the Swiss took the win 6-7(7), 7-6(5), 6-4 on Court One at the Dubai Tennis Stadium. 241 points were played between the two stars that threw all they had at one another to attain victory.

The Swiss star chose to bow out of Doha and make a run for a second title win. She carried a 2-0 series lead over the Ukrainian, who handled the Turk in the final two sets of their opening match Sunday. Kostyuk gave Bencic a hard time in Abu Dhabi and would do whatever it took to break her out of a strong offense. Despite losing out to go all the way in last week’s tournament, the time to recover after six straight matches gave the eighth seed a chance to run through the competition once more.  

Kostyuk set herself in a good place, holding serve in the opening game. Bencic responded with a serve to love, but the Ukrainian was in the groove to hold her end no matter what. Despite Bencic forcing deuce, Kostyuk played the first AD point to keep in front. The eighth seed took the lead away, holding it through the next three games.

Kostyuk overcame the deficit, and denied Bencic a chance at the set twice, gaining a break in the process. She took the 11th on serve but watched the Swiss level the score, sending them to a tiebreak. It was there that the Ukrainian gained more breakpoints, but putting the set away took time. On her fourth break of Bencic, Kostyuk made three a charm with a long ball return by Bencic, ending the first in 1 hour and 13 minutes. The defeat sent the eighth seed to slam her rack and move things into the second set.

The first game went to the Ukrainian, who took her success and turned it into a break for the Swiss star, who was still fuming. Kostyuk managed to consolidate for a 2-0 run, but Bencic didn’t let the gap grow further. She scored a serve to love in the fifth, then went on to break to level the score at three-all. Bencic added a third-game win that put her in the lead briefly. She led the way through four games, staying ahead of the Ukrainian through the 11th.

Kostyuk held the 12th to force another tiebreak, taking a two-point lead in the competition. Bencic started to bring the fight to the net, going for the points to even up. She stuck through a tough battle with the Ukrainian and went for the big shots when she needed the offense to pay off, completing the second in 1 hour and 16 minutes. Bencic’s second serve came in to save her which bested her first serve overall in the set.

The two combined for 38 errors, meaning that more would come going to the decider. Bencic got on the board first but wanted to keep Kostyuk off her tail. The 20-year-old refused to fall back and stayed close to the eighth seed, as both built up strong service games to the ninth.

The tenth was the difference maker for Bencic, who put all the intensity left inside to overcome a 15-40 gap, force deuce, and deny Kostyuk breakpoints to end a 3-hour and 27-minute ordeal. Late errors from the 20-year-old allowed Bencic to walk away with the victory and avoid a shocking upset. Kostyuk tallied 52 errors in the match but gave it her all through every point played. Bencic will try to get some rest before she awaits Karolina Muchova in the round of 16 Wednesday.

Ostapenko rolls at Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship

Jelena Ostapenko had another comfortable match that pressed her forward at the Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championships Tuesday. The champion from last year, dispatched Linda Fruhvirtova in straight sets 6-2, 6-0 on Court Three at the Dubai Tennis Stadium. The Latvian had her offense under control to keep her defense of the title alive.

The Latvian got the perfect matchup against Zavatska, beating her in straight sets to overshadow a 2019 loss to the Ukrainian. The defending champion found Fruhvirtova, who took down Danielle Collins 6-3, 6-4 in her first appearance in the draw. The Czech had a much larger obstacle in her way, knowing that a lot had to go wrong for the upset. Ostapenko’s return game was mid-successful in her opening round, despite recording eight aces. The pressure sat with the world number 20, who had a lot to prove to herself that she could potentially go back-to-back in Dubai.

Ostapenko broke Fruhvirtova in the opening game, due to a pair of double faults by the Czech. She recovered with a break back, holding serve in the third to consolidate against the defending champion. Ostapenko went to work in the fourth, putting together a strategy that pushed her forward through the remainder of the match. After holding the fourth, the Latvian watched Fruhvirtova suffer another double fault that broke her service.

Ostapenko held the Czech to a point in the sixth and broke her in the seventh on Fruhvirtova’s fourth double fault. It was smooth sailing for the Latvian, who held Fruhvirtova back a point to earn the first set in 31 minutes. She committed just one double fault, winning 71 percent on points from the first serve. Fruhvirtova’s second serve was nearly non-existent, scoring just one point out of 11 attempts.

Her attempts to get out of trouble were no match for the 25-year-old, who dictated a break to open the second set. She held Fruhvirtova to just two points through four games straight, achieving the double break. In the fifth, Ostapenko allowed her opponent one for the triple break before closing out the match on her terms. The Latvian coasted to victory, earning the bagel to secure her spot in the round of 16, taking 56 minutes to accomplish.

Victoria Azarenka wins in three sets at Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship

Victoria Azarenka watched a forehand shot go across the net in her second round match with Amanda Anisimova at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship.

Victoria Azarenka fought back from a set down and took the American down with a hard-fought journey at the Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championships Tuesday. The world number 14 went to great lengths in the final set, beating Amanda Anisimova 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(5) on Court One at the Dubai Tennis Stadium.

The world number 14 earned her sixth match win over another tennis veteran, beating Pavlyuchenkova in straight sets. It was the first since 2019, giving her the perfect warm-up before facing the American. Anisimova went on a break after exiting early at the Australian Open, doing well to dispatch Vera Zvonareva in the first round. Holding a victory against Azarenka last year came on the clay courts, but with the 33-year-old playing comfortably on hard courts, she had the window open to dictate her skills in Dubai.

Azarenka started with a break of the American, allowing her a point from the service. Anisimova broke back overcoming a deficit and avoiding a lead for the former world number one. Securing a hold of her serve in the third gave her a moment to lead the set, but the world number 14 leveled back in the fourth with ease.

She scored the double break on Anisimova but was broken back due to the double faults that rolled in. Both had comfortable service games going toward the business end of the set. The ninth was the most competitive, with Azarenka forcing deuce and fighting for control through three breaks. Saving a breakpoint chance, Anisimova gained her second AD point attempt to gain the lead a third time.

The 33-year-old suffered double faults in the tenth game that allowed the American to dig in with the breakpoints and cap the set to her name in 45 minutes.  Azarenka tallied five double faults which sank her second serve to 33 percent.

Azarenka managed to make an improvement in the second, keeping the double faults silent. She targeted Anisimova on the returns that helped her break to love in the second for an early lead. The 21-year-old broke back and by the fifth, scoring a serve to love. They continued to tie one another through eight games, but the ninth went to the 33-year-old, who held Anisimova to a point for the double.

Overcoming a 15-40 gap, Azarenka saved two breakpoints, forced deuce, and held the first AD point played, forcing a decider after 43 minutes. Anisimova’s first serve struggled to get into gear, producing just 44 percent compared to Azarenka’s 70.

With the score even, the third was anyone’s to take and the fight for it went along those lines. The players had good service games to open the third set, but a battle ensued when Azarenka matched the American point for point. Both went seven breaks on Anisimova’s serve, where she saved three breakpoints from her opponent. Working hard to gain the AD point, it came after more than 10 minutes of action to give her the lead.

Putting so much effort into it, the American found a way to break Azarenka but suffered a break to love in the fifth. She quickly recovered, breaking back for the double only to suffer one herself. Each of them broke each other three consecutive times in the set, bringing the competition to a neck-and-neck race to the finish. Azarenka was first to hold serve, leading them to stay on pace till the tiebreak. It was in that moment the 33-year-old felt most comfortable, breaking Anisimova twice through five points. The 21-year-old fought back from 2-5 down, but the last two went to Azarenka, who watched Anisimova fall to the floor on a miscue from the forehand, ending 2 hours and 43 minutes.

The wind at times played a factor in shots across the court, but the service from Anisimova struggled enough to fade her early efforts in the match. The 33-year-old had her signature attack of cutting the ball to depend on, needing it for her round of 16 match against Madison Keys or Caroline Garcia.

Jessica Pegula snatches spot in last eight at Qatar Total Energies Open

Jessica Pegula celebrates her win over Jelena Ostapenko at the Qatar Total Energies Open. 

In a match that flipped and flopped, Jessica Pegula was the one who came out on top at the Qatar Total Energies Open Wednesday night. Jelena Ostapenko overcame a first-set defeat, took the second, and slipped late in the third to give the American a 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 win on center court at the Khalifa International Tennis Center.

The Latvian found a way to etch out a victory against Madison Keys, getting it in straight sets. The American wasn’t at her best on the day, snapping a three-match grip against Ostapenko. With her out of the picture, the world number four rose on the horizon of the 25-year-old. Pegula carries an 8-2 record after closing the Australian Open with a quarterfinal placement. With two weeks off, the American recovered to face the Latvian for the third time and second in Doha. With a victory on the courts of Doha two years back, the Buffalo native would push for another against Ostapenko to reach the round of 16 once more.

The American got her offense into action in a timely matter, dictating the first three games, with Ostapenko having troubles out of the block. With a double break in hand, Pegula consolidated with a hold to lead 4-0. Ostapenko got on the board, holding Pegula to a point for the service win.

Pegula made it 5-1 in the sixth, sitting a game down from the set. The Latvian dug out another good service game from her end, but it was a long hill to climb and Pegula refused to slip up. The 28-year-old rallied to three set points, winning it on her second attempt to end 27 minutes.

Things turned around for the Latvian, who served up a win, despite having to go to deuce to get it done. She battled against the American for a break that also went to deuce, needing two breaks for it. It was quickly a 3-0 hold for Ostapenko, who dug in well against Pegula to make it a competitive match. The American struck a win on her service in the fourth but continued to face a three-game deficit.

It was in the eighth that Ostapenko completed the comeback, breaking Pegula to love that forced the American to a decider after 35 minutes. It was in that set that the American had tallied four double faults and a bad return game that shuddered through her whole skill level. With a new outlook on the match, the Latvian went into the third set feeling confident in her efforts to upset the second set.

Ostapenko pulled off her first serve to love on the day, then broke Pegula in the second. She backed up the good start with a hold in the third, building up the gap against the American. Pegula answered in the fourth but suffered another shutout on Ostapenko’s second love service. Through the next three games, the competition wasn’t fierce, but the fire inside the Latvian remained.

Pegula had three games under her belt, holding Ostapenko twice from taking the match outright. She made it three in a row after the ninth, breaking the Latvian for the double and serving to level the score. Ostapenko had two match-point attempts in the tenth to dispatch the American, but mistakes cost her those opportunities. After four breaks, the second seed forced the match onward, setting up a battle in the 11th.

It was there that she got to deuce with Ostapenko until a challenge gave her the win on a wide shot from the Latvian. With a 6-5 lead and the chance to serve it out, Pegula made it an easy finish. Achieving two match points, the American sealed up the comeback, swiping back the win after a 1-hour and 52 minute tug of war.