Qualifier Anna Kalinskaya pulled off a stunning upset by defeating World No3 Coco Gauff in three sets to advance to the semifinals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
Kalinskaya's comeback victory sets up a surprising semifinal clash with World No1 Iga Swiatek.
Despite facing a medical timeout and trailing in the first set, Kalinskaya showcased resilience to turn the match around, eventually winning 2-6, 6-4, 6-2. The victory marks her second Top-10 win of the week and first Top-5 win.
Meanwhile, Swiatek, fresh off her title win in Doha, continued her dominant run in the Middle East with a straight-set victory over Zheng. Swiatek's win sets up a semifinal showdown against Kalinskaya.
The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, continues with both women’s WTA 1000 and men’s ATP 500 events.
Arsenal has wasted the chance to restore their six-point lead at the top of the Premier League table as they were held to a 1-1 draw at Brentford on Thursday, with Noni Madueke's second-half header cancelled out by Keane Lewis-Potter.
Defending champions India continued their march towards the Super Eight stage of the Twenty20 World Cup with a 93-run win over Namibia in a group A contest at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Thursday.
Brothers Justin and Anthony Mosca guided Twenty20 World Cup debutants Italy to their first win in the tournament, as their unbeaten half-centuries secured a dominant 10-wicket victory over Nepal in a Group C clash on Thursday.
The 2026 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships will usher in the start of a new era for one of the Middle East’s most iconic sporting events with plans revealed for an extensive two-phase redevelopment that will transform the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium and surrounding Aviation Club Tennis Complex.