Kasatkina faces Svitolina in Dubai final

Dubai - Russian stands between Svitolina and history

Daria Kasatkina. This is the name that fans could soon sing in some of the biggest tennis stadiums around the world.
They certainly did on Friday evening on the Centre Court at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships when the 20-year-old Russian youngster fought for every point as though she was fighting for her life, saving three match points in an unforgettable 24-point second set tie-break after losing the first set, before putting Garbine Muguruza to the sword in the third to book her place in the final.
This 3-6 7-6 (13/11) 6-1 win at the Dubai championships semifinal could turn out to be the turning point in Kasatkina's career.
This victory also earned her a final date with top seed and defending champion Elina Svitolina of Ukraine who beat German sixth seed Angelique Kerber 6-3 6-3 in the second semifinal.
Now Kasatkina stands between Svitolina and history as the Ukrainian is eyeing to become only the third player after the legendary Venus Williams and Justine Henin to defend the Dubai title.
And it's not going to be easy for Svitolina against a player who plays unbelievable tennis in the biggest points.
"I think she likes to play when she's under pressure. Her best tennis comes when she's about to lose," Muguruza later told reporters after the painful defeat.
"With the matches she normally plays, she's always in danger, and all of a sudden she kind of comes back. I think she has good fitness to be able to run a lot. I think that's what helped her today."
That's what also had helped her in the round of 16 clash against British seventh seed Johanna Konta. The Russian had saved two match points in the second set tie-break before winning that three-set battle in 2-hour-59-minutes against Konta.
On Friday, the only thing that didn't work out for the Russian was the drop shot on both forehand and backhand sides.
But that was her only blemish on a day she showed some amazing skills and courage to hurt one of the best players in the world.
"I was pleased with my fighting spirit today. Yes, some things I was not able to do. Sometimes my forehand was not working, and the backhand I was pushing today. But the fighting spirit made the difference," Kasatkina said.
It obviously hurts to lose match points. Kasatkina knows it, having lost match points in her previous three-set epic with Muguruza in Brisbane last year.
"Today, my first set points on the tiebreak, I was serving, and the picture from Brisbane last year I had in front of my face. Just I was smiling inside I looked at my brother (in the stands) because I think he also knew what I was thinking," Kasatkina, who won the junior French Open in 2014, said.
"I don't know how I won today. When you're winning from match points, you don't know why. I was just trying to fight for every ball because Garbine, she's playing unbelievable. She's a very tough opponent. She's hitting so hard, playing so fast. I was just trying to do whatever I could," the world number 24 said.
Muguruza was the second Grand Slam winner to have lost to Kasatkina.
The Russian has beaten Kerber twice in the past.
"I don't know. Actually few times I beat No. 1 in the world. I don't know. I never put attention to it, like what was my biggest win," she said.
"I'm just playing. I'm trying to win every match. I really don't mind if it was the best match of my life or not."
RESULTS
FRIDAY
Singles semifinals
Daria Kasatkina (Russia) beat Garbine Muguruza (Spain) (2) 3-6 7-6 (13/11) 6-1
Elina Svitolina (Ukraine) (1) beat Angelique Kerber (Germany) (6) 6-3 6-3
Doubles semifinals
Hao-Ching Chan (Taipei)/Zhaoxuan Yang (China) beat Alicja Rosolska (Poland)/Abigail Spears (US) 6-4 7-5
Hao-Ching Chan (Taipei)/Zhaoxuan Yang (China) beat Ekaterina Makarova (Russia)/Elena Vesnina (Russia) 6-1 3-6 10-7
 
ORDER OF PLAY
Saturday
5pm
Doubles final
Hao-Ching Chan (Taipei)/Zhaoxuan Yang (China) vs Su-Wei Hsieh (Taipei)/Shuai Peng (China) (4)
Singles final
7pm
Elina Svitolina (Ukraine) (1) vs Daria Kasatkina (Russia)