Denmark’s Clara Tauson delivered the biggest victory of her career at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, ousting world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets, 6-3 6-2. With this commanding performance, the 22-year-old reached her first-ever WTA 1000 quarterfinal, avenging her loss to Sabalenka in the third round of the Australian Open last month.
Tauson controlled the match from early on, breaking Sabalenka three times in each set, never letting her opponent be in the lead for long. She fired seven aces, dominating throughout the 1-hour, 24-minute encounter. The Dane’s next opponent will be fellow first-time WTA 1000 quarterfinalist, Linda Noskova.
Noskova battles past Pegula for first WTA 1000 quarterfinal
Noskova’s remarkable Middle East campaign continued with a stunning upset over No. 5 seed Jessica Pegula, 6-3 7-6(8). The 20-year-old Czech star, fresh off a semifinal run in Abu Dhabi and the round of 16 in Doha, carried her momentum into Dubai with gritty victories over Yulia Putintseva and Diana Shnaider.
Facing Pegula, Noskova dominated early, building a commanding 6-3 4-2 lead. However, the resilient American fought back, pushing the second set to a nail-biting tiebreak. Despite Pegula holding set points to level the match, Noskova showcased nerves of steel,…
