Share

Pliskova, Muguruza restore order, reach Dubai quarters

Dubai - Karolina Pliskova and Garbine Muguruza re-established order among seeds on Wednesday as both reached the quarter-finals of the WTA Dubai Championships.

World number three Pliskova strolled to a 6-1, 6-2 defeat of qualifier Kristina Mladenovic in barely an hour, before ninth seed Muguruza took almost two-and-a-half hours to get past Russian Veronika Kudermetova 7-5, 4-6, 6-4.

Three big names had exited on Tuesday, with holder Belinda Bencic, third seed Elina Svitolina and Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin all going out.

Top seed Simona Halep plays her opener later against fan favourite Ons Jabeur of Tunisia.

Pliskova pegged back Mladenovic after the Frenchwoman earned only her first main-draw win of the season in the first round.

"It's always a tough one against her. We played in Australia, so I knew what to expect," Pliskova said.

"I was not playing amazing but still, even with a couple of mistakes, I didn't give up.

"The score looked a little bit easier than it really was, we had a couple of tough games."

Muguruza had to struggle two days after beating Kim Clijsters in the Belgian's first WTA match since 2012 after announcing a surprise comeback aged 36.

"There's a lot of things that I could have done better," two-time Grand Slam champion Muguruza said. "But I'm excited that I gave myself another opportunity to be in the quarters."

Last month's Australian Open finalist added: "I'm just happy that I get these tough matches.

"Honestly, the difference is very, very small, I'm just pleased to go through."

Muguruza secured her place with a break in the final game as she converted her first match point.

She will bid for a semi-final place on Thursday, taking on Jennifer Brady, a 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 winner against Marketa Vondrousova.

WTA Dubai results on Wednesday (x denotes seeding):

2nd round

Aryna Sabalenka (BLR x7) bt Elise Mertens (BEL) 6-4, 6-3

Jennifer Brady (USA) bt Marketa Vondrousova (CZE) 4-6, 6-4, 6-1

Garbine Muguruza (ESP x9) bt Veronika Kudermetova (RUS) 7-5, 4-6, 6-4

Petra Martic (CRO x8) bt Barbora Strycova (CZE) 6-3, 6-3

Elena Rybakina (KAZ) bt Katerina Siniakova (CZE) 6-3, 6-3

Karolna Pliskova (CZE x2) bt Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) 6-1, 6-2

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1471 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2250 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE