Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina achieved a notable win against the world’s fourth-ranked player, Coco Gauff, thereby progressing to face Jessica Pegula in the final round of the Dubai Tennis Championships.
The American contender, Pegula, was the initial player to secure her semi-final victory, overcoming a challenging first set and an early break of serve in the second set to defeat her fellow countrywoman Amanda Anisimova with scores of 1-6, 6-4, 6-3.
Gauff, aged 21, had an opportunity to create an all-American final on Saturday, but Svitolina emerged triumphant with a 6-4, 6-7 (13-15), 6-4 scoreline in a memorable contest that extended for three hours and three minutes.
The 31-year-old Svitolina possessed four points to win the match during the second-set tie-break but failed to convert them, yet she still managed to claim the decisive third set.
This achievement marks her presence in the tournament’s final for the first time since she secured consecutive Dubai titles in 2017 and 2018.
“I played with immense determination, simply aiming to exert all my effort,” she stated.
In the men’s Qatar Open, Carlos Alcaraz, the world’s top-ranked player, sustained his undefeated streak for 2026 by achieving a 7-6 (7-3), 6-4 win over Russia’s Andrey Rublev, thereby securing his spot in the final.
