A shock loss from world number three Coco Gauff has left the door wide open for Iga Swiatek at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
The US Open champion looked on course for a semi-final match with Iga Swiatek when she took the first set against Anna Kalinskaya but the Russian qualifier hit back to win 2-6 6-4 6-2 in a standout result.
Swiatek, the world number one, is waiting in the last four after she eased to a 6-3 6-2 win over China’s Zheng Qinwen.
“She has great power, great topspin… you have to be ready for that,” Swiatek told reporters in her postmatch press conference.
“She wants to really be proactive, so you have to keep up with the intensity. I’ve been doing that during our matches.”
The Pole is the favourite to make it back-to-back titles in the Middle East after winning the Doha Open last week.
Fourth seed Elena Rybakina withdrew from her quarter-final with Jasmine Paolini due to illness, handing the unseeded Italian a walkover into the last four where she will meet Sorana Cirstea.
Cirstea beat Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova 2-6 7-6 (1) 6-2.
