Dubai champion Wozniacki books berth in last four

Defending champion Caroline Wozniacki is through to the semi-finals of the $2 million Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, along with Agnieszka Radwanska, Jelena Jankovic and Julia Goerges.

Third seeded Wozniacki fought off a strong challenge from fellow newly announced Dubai Duty Free ambassador Ana Ivanovic to win 6-3 7-5 at the Aviation Club Stadium on Thursday. 

Fifth seed Radwanska swept aside Sabine Lisicki 6-2 6-1 to reach her second semi-final in two weeks, number eight seed Jankovic upset fourth seed and reigning US Open champion Samantha Stosur 6-4 6-2, and Goerges rallied to beat Daniela Hantuchova 4-6 6-3 6-4.

Wozniacki emerged the winner from a high-quality battle with Ivanovic, taking advantage of her opponent’s inconsistency and several costly double-faults. But the outcome of the second set remained in the balance until the very end, after Wozniacki failed to serve out the match at her first opportunity at 5-4.

“I'm very pleased to get through that in straight sets,” said Wozniacki. “Ana really stepped it up in the second set, took the balls very early, and just played really well actually. She took her chances and had nothing to lose.”

Lisicki was under pressure from the start against Radwanska, taking nine minutes to hold her first service game and then dropping her serve at 1-1. Radwanska then broke a second time to lead 5-2 when Lisicki was unable to respond adequately to a dropshot and she sailed through the second set, claiming the first five games and closing out the match in 66 minutes.

“I think return was the key of this match,” Radwanska said. “I mean, we know that she's really big server and serving very well, so I think I was just ready for it. I was just focused from the beginning. First couple breaks were I think also very important, because the first set was much tighter than the second one.”

Jankovic has had a great deal of success in Dubai, reaching the final on her debut in 2005 before going on to reach no less than four semi-finals. She always held the upper hand as she repeated her 2011 Dubai quarter-final victory over Stosur and, like Radwanska, she thought the quality of her returns played a crucial role in her win.

“I think the key was my return,” said Jankovic. “You know, she has one of the best, if not the best, serves in the women's game. It's never easy to return her serve. So I was really focused on that and I really tried to make as many returns as possible in the court, and then, you know, I would feel comfortable afterwards.”

Goerges continued her fine run this week, which began with an upset of 2011 Dubai finalist Svetlana Kuznetsova. She then benefited from the withdrawal of top seed Victoria Azarenka and instead had to face a player who had lost in the qualifying rounds, and she maintained her momentum with another powerful performance against Hantuchova.

In the semi-finals, Jankovic will play Radwanska and Wozniacki will then face Goerges.

The WTA Tour event continues until Saturday and play then continues on Monday with the ATP tournament featuring eight of the world’s top 10, including reigning Dubai, Wimbledon, US Open and Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic, four-time winner Roger Federer, sensational Scot Andy Murray, charismatic Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, recent Montpellier winner Tomas Berdych and American number one Mardy Fish.

The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships is owned and organised by Dubai Duty Free and held under the patronage of His HIgness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Tickets for the event are available from the Box Office at the Dubai Tennis Stadium, Garhoud which opens from 9am to 9pm daily. Grandstand tickets can also be bought online at https://www.timeouttickets.com/. For further information about tickets, prices and tournaments visit https://www.dubaidutyfreetennischampionships.com/ or phone the call centre on +971 4 358 9797.
 

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