TENNIS DUBAI – Czech young star Karolina Pliskova fought back from a set and a break down to edge past her compatriot Lucie Safarova in three sets with 3-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-1 at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, a Premier-5 level Tournament. Diego Sampaolo
Karolina Pliskova beat Safarova for the second consecutive week six days after their last head-to-head match in Antwerp. Pliskova had a start probably because of tiredness after travelling a lot in the first two months of the year (after the Australian Open she played for Czech Republic at the Fed Cup match against Canada in Quebec City before travelling back to Europe for Antwerp).
Safarova looked to be in control of the match until she led 6-3 3-1 with a break in the second set but the match changed completely when Pliskova won the tie-break forcing the match to the third set. Pliskova dominated the third set dropping just one game at 4-0 confirming her excellent level reached in the second half of last year and in the first part of the year where she reached the final in Sydney, the third round at the Australian Open and the semifinal in Antwerp. Before Dubai she had never reached the semifinals in a Premier-5 Tournament.
“The same thing happened yesterday against Ana Ivanovic. I was up a set and a break and it went to three sets. It was a similar match but this time it went my way. I have to say that Lucie played very well today. She deserved to win as well today. I feel a bit sorry for her”, said Pliskova.
Pliskova will take on Spaniard Garbine Muguruza who rallied from a set down to edge last week’s Antwerp finalist Carla Suarez Navarro in the Spanish derby with 6-7 (4-7) 6-3 6-3. For Muguruza it’s the best result ever achieved son far in her career, as she had never reached the semifinals in a Premier-5 Tournament.
Suarez Navarro got a double break at the start of the first set but Muguruza reeled off four consecutive games to take the 5-4 lead. Muguruza missed out on two chances to take the first set. Suarez Navarro earned three break point chances in the 11th game but Muguruza saved them with two winners and an ace on her second serve. Suarez Navarro saved another break point forcing the first set to the tie-break and clinched the first set with 7-4.
Garbine bounced back getting the break in the opening game of the second set and took the second set with 6-3 forcing the match to the third set. Both players traded breaks at the start of the decider. The match was decided in the 8th game where Garbine sealed the win with a break of serve against a very tired Suarez Navarro who committed a costly double fault on the break point. Garbine closed out the match on the next game.
Simona Halep took the re-match against Elena Makarova who beat the young Romanian last month in the quarter finals at the Australian Open.
After dropping the second set and being forced to the third set, Halep opened up a 5-3 lead in the decider. Makarova clawed her way back drawing level to 5-all. Halep held serve to love in the 11th game for 6-5 before getting the decisive break to clinch the win with 6-3 1-6 7-5 on her fifth match point.
“There were ups and downs tonight. It wasn’t easy to be in control of the match because she is a good player. I played really well in the first set, but in the second set she started to hit stronger. I was a bit nervous to finish it off when I missed out on the first four match points at 6-5”, said Halep
In the fourth quarter final last year’s US Open Caroline Wozniacki beat Italian Flavia Pennetta 7-5 6-0. Pennetta went up a break twice in the opening set. The Italian had two chances to hold her serve in the sixth game after breaking for 3-2 but she was broken back. The first set went on serve until the 12th game when Wozniacki got the break to clinch the first set. From 5-5 Wozniacki reeled off eight consecutive games
The opening set was marked by long and hard-fought rallies. The fourth game featured 46-shot rally.
After dropping serve early in the second set Pennetta had a chance to break back but Wozniacki saved it to open up a 3-0 lead. The Danish star cruised to a bagel setting up a blockbuster semifinal against Simona Halep.
Halep and Wozniacki are tied 1-1 in their previous head-to-head matches but they have not clashed since 2013.
“I felt like we had some long rallies out there. There was one point that took forever. I was like: Are you kidding me ? How am I supposed to play a full match like this ?”, said Wozniacki.