iPhone | iPad
Android
Huawei
She wins gold in the 48 kg category at the 2023 IBA Women’s Boxing World Championships
KT APPDOWNLOAD
Dubai Duty Free Tennis: Krejcikova aims to replicate Ostrava feat
The Czech World No30 will take on Iga Swiatek in the Dubai final on Saturday
Barbora Krejcikova hits a return during her semifinal win. — Photo by Shihab
It was Jessica Pegula’s birthday on Friday, but Barbora Krejcikova didn’t come bearing any gifts to the Centre Court.
The Czech World No30 took out a seeded player for the fourth straight night at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship, having knocked out No7 Daria Kasatkina on the opening night, followed by No12 Petra Kvitova and then the second seed and reigning Australia Open champion Aryna Sabalenka on Thursday.
Pegula, the third seed who turned 29, played despite a heavily-strapped left thigh, and wasn’t her usual self in running after the balls.
Krejcikova took full advantage of her opponent’s situation and lined up her second final in Dubai (she lost to Garbine Muguruza in 2021), where she will take on the world No1 Iga Swiatek.
Beating the rampant Swiatek seems Mission Impossible in women's tennis at the moment, but if Krejcikova wins the final, she could become the first player to win against four top-10 opponents in a single WTA1000 event since Belinda Bencic, who achieved the feat here in 2019.
However, the Czech star is one of the few players who have managed to beat Swiatek in recent times.
Last October in Ostrava, she snapped the five-time WTA 1000 champion’s 10-match winning streak in finals with a 5-7, 7-6 (4), 6-3 upset. She did lose their previous two head-to-head in Miami and Rome (both in 2021).
“I’m definitely not going to tell you what I’m going to do tomorrow, or how I beat her in Ostrava,” said Krejcikova with a laugh.
“I have to say, it’s always a huge challenge and I love challenges. I expect it’s going to be really difficult because she is in a great form. But I believe that I’m playing well, as well. I think I can find a plan that can push her on the back foot. I believe that I have a chance.”
On the semifinal match, she added: “It was really difficult match. Even though the first set was going really my way, I thought she was going to level up her game, that she was going to start playing better. And she did. She started to serve better. The games started to be really close.
“Unfortunately, even though I wasn't able to convert my chances in the second, I thought I still had a big opportunity in the third.”
More news from Sports
The first game of the three-match T20 series will take place on Friday
The aftermath of the defeat to Argentina on penalties has been turbulent with several big names retiring from the game
The world No.1 added that the injury would also keep her out of Poland's Billie Jean King Cup qualifier against Kazakhstan in mid-April
The 34-year-old helped Germany to glory in Brazil in 2014 but bitterly quit the international scene after the Germans crashed out of the 2018 tournament in Russia
Usyk, the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO champion, will now seek to defend his belts against Britain's Daniel Dubois, the mandatory WBA challenger
Those who want to buy United have to declare their offer to Raine, the merchant bank brought in to assist the club, by 2100 GMT (1 am UAE Time, Thursday) on Wednesday
The three-match series, the first bilateral between the neighbours, will be played in Sharjah on March 24, 26 and 27