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The Dubai Tennis Championships has reached its business end, with the women's singles semifinals taking place on Friday, February 24, which is also Day 6 of the WTA 1000 event.
World No. 1 Iga Swiatek was the first to book her place in the final four of the tournament as she received a walkover after her quarterfinal opponent Karolina Pliskova's withdrawal due to illness. The Pole will face fifth seed Coco Gauff, who defeated compatriot Madison Keys in the quarterfinals.
Third seed Jessica Pegula also booked her place in the semifinals without entering the court as her last-eight opponent Karolina Muchova was forced to withdraw due to an abdominal injury.
With two intriguing matchups ahead of us, let's take a look at how the semifinals at the Dubai Tennis Championships could unfold.
#1. Iga Swiatek vs Coco Gauff
World No. 1 Iga Swiatek will take on fifth seed Coco Gauff in the semifinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships. It will be the sixth meeting between the two, with Swiatek winning each of their previous five encounters.
The Pole has been in sensational form since following her fourth-round exit at the Australian Open. She successfully defended her title at the Qatar Open by thrashing Jessica Pegula 6-3, 6-0 in the final. She dropped only five games throughout the tournament.
Swiatek started the Dubai Tennis Championships with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Leylah Fernandez to seal her place in the third round. Here, she thrashed Liudmila Samsonova 6-1, 6-0 to reach the quarterfinals, where Karolina Pliskova was her opponent.
However, the Czech withdrew from the Dubai Tennis Championships due to illness, this giving Swiatek a walkover to the semifinals.
Coco Gauff has had a promising start to the 2023 season, winning 11 out of 13 matches so far with the ASB Classic to her name. The American was seeded fifth at the Dubai Tennis Championships and started with a 6-0, 6-4 drubbing over Aliaksandra Sasnovich to reach the third round.
Here, Gauff was scheduled to face ninth seed Elena Rybakina but the Kazakh withdrew from the tournament due to a lower back injury. The teenager thus reached the quarterfinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships, where she faced compatriot Madison Keys. Gauff won 6-2, 7-5 to book her place in the semifinals.
The 18-year-old started 2023 strongly and did very well to beat the in-form Keys in the quarterfinals. However, Swiatek looks too good at the moment to lose to Gauff.
Predicted Winner: Iga Swiatek
#2. Jessica Pegula vs Barbora Krejcikova
Third seed Jessica Pegula will take on Barbora Krejcikova in the semifinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships. It will be the second meeting between the two, with Pegula winning their previous encounter, which came last month in the fourth round of the Australian Open.
The World No. 3 has looked in good nick so far this season as she helped Team USA win the United Cup while also reaching the final of the Qatar Open. She also made it to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open.
Pegula started the Dubai Tennis Championships with a 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 win over Viktoriya Tomova. She then beat Anna Bogdan 6-4, 6-3 to book her place in the quarterfinals.
Here, the American was scheduled to face Karolina Muchova but the Czech was forced to withdraw due to an abdominal injury.
Krejcikova entered the Dubai Tennis Championships unseeded but has produced some terrific performances so far. The 27-year-old beat Irina-Camelia Begu 6-4, 6-2 before triumphing 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 over Daria Kasatkina to reach the third round.
Here, she beat 12th seed Petra Kvitova 6-3, 6-2 to set up a quarterfinals clash against Aryna Sabalenka. The Australian Open champion started the match strongly and bageled Krejcikova in the opening set. However, the Czech bounced back and won the second set 7-6(2). She then dominated the final set and won it 6-1 to seal her place in the semifinals.
Pegula has produced some impressive performances over the past year or so and will be the favorite to win. However, Krejcikova will not be hard to beat, especially after her win over Sabalenka. The Czech might manage to scrape through if she is at her best.
Predicted Winner: Barbora Krejcikova.
