The quarterfinal slate at the 2021 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships features a big-hitting rematch between Aryna Sabalenka and Garbiñe Muguruza, the third installment of the compelling match-up between Jil Teichmann and Coco Gauff, a battle between two of the toughest outs of 2021 as Elise Mertens faces Jessica Pegula, and a massive opportunity for Barbora Krejcikova and Anastasia Potapova.
Here's what to expect on Thursday in Dubai:
No.3 Aryna Sabalenka vs. No.9 Garbiñe Muguruza
Head-to-head tied 1-1
Sabalenka and Muguruza highlight Thursday's quarterfinals in a rematch of their tremendous three-set duel last week in Doha, which saw Muguruza prevail 6-2, 6-7(5), 6-3 en route to her second final of the season.
Sabalenka is the highest-ranked player remaining in the tournament and she continues to look sharp in Dubai. With wins over Alize Cornet and Anett Kontaveit, Sabalenka has not lost a set.
"I really wanted to play against [Muguruza] one more time and get this win back," Sabalenka said. "It's always a great match playing against her, great battles. This time I will be focused from the beginning of the match and put pressure on her and work for every point and do my best to get this win back."
Muguruza has handled her quick turnaround from Saturday's Doha final with ease. She has yet to lose a set over three matches, punctuating her run so far with a 6-0, 6-4 win over Iga Swiatek in the Round of 16. Despite leading the tour with a 15-4 record, the Spaniard is still looking for her first title since 2019 Monterrey. A title in Dubai would be her biggest since winning 2017 Cincinnati.
How good has Muguruza been in 2021? She leads the tour in victories and finals while being dealt some of the toughest draws on tour. In 2021, Muguruza's average ranking of opponents across 20 matches is 42.0, the second highest on tour among players who have played at least five matches (Azarenka, five matches, 37.8). Sabalenka will be Muguruza's second Top 20 opponent of the week.
"I want to feel like my opponents every time they play against me, they think 'Oh man. I play Muguruza. Doesn't matter if she's No.20, No.5, or No.2," Muguruza said after her win over Swiatek.
"The same for me. When I play with people I'm just concentrated on what I have to do, how do I have to play. Honestly, I don't even know the ranking of my opponent today. I know her results, I know how she's playing, but I don't necessarily know which number she is. I don't think any more about the ranking. I used to. I used to think it was something exciting.
"I feel like now everybody is playing well. You can lose to someone behind in the ranking because the level is so high. If I want to be up there I have to face these girls and play these matches and I'm trying to go through them. This is the process."
The winner faces the winner of Mertens/Pegula in Friday's semifinals.
No.10 Elise Mertens vs. Jessica Pegula
Mertens leads head-to-head 1-0
Pegula's strong 2021 continues in Dubai. After tallying her first Slam quarterfinal at the Australian Open and her first WTA 500 semifinal last week in Doha, the 27-year-old American is a win away from the biggest semifinal of her career and a Top 30 debut.
Pegula has been dominant in Dubai, losing no more than three games in any of her three matches. Her 6-0, 6-2 win over No.6 Karolina Pliskova in the Round of 16 was her second win in six days over the Czech and her tour-leading third Top 10 win of the season (tied with Muguruza). Pegula is now 12-4 on the season.
"I think the depth now in women's tennis so tough," Pegula said. "There are no easy matches. It's so day-to-day, week-to-week on who's playing well and who's not. So much of it to me is about match-ups. Some people play better against certain people but don't play better against someone else. So that's a really big thing that some people don't realize.
"Especially with seeds when they have a bye and they play someone who has played under these conditions and already has a match under their belt or a qualifier with multiple matches under their belt. I think that's a big factor when seeds go out."
After withdrawing from Adelaide with shoulder concerns, Mertens has quickly found her form in Dubai. After needing three sets to defeat Viktoriya Tomova in the first round, the Belgian has eased past Shelby Rogers and Caroline Garcia to make her second quarterfinal of the season.
Mertens won their only previous meeting, a 6-1, 6-3 win last summer in the Cincinnati quarterfinals.
Jil Teichmann vs. Coco Gauff
Gauff leads head-to-head 2-0
For the third time in six weeks, Jil Teichmann and Coco Gauff will face off. The American teen has made good on her wildcard into Dubai, saving two match points to defeat Ekaterina Alexandrova in the first round and notching wins over Marketa Vondrousova and Teresa Martincova. Gauff is working hard to set up a perfect birthday celebration on Saturday, her 17th.
Gauff has had the edge over Teichmann this season, with both matches coming in back-to-back weeks in Melbourne. Gauff edged the Swiss 6-3, 6-7(6), 7-6(5) in the first round of the Gippsland Trophy, and then eased her way to a 6-3, 6-2 win in the first round of the Australian Open.
"I have the feeling I've only played Coco this year," Teichmann said, laughing. "I see her every tournament. She's very nice. Obviously a very tough opponent, very powerful. It's going to be a tough match. I'm looking forward to it."
"Every week is different, every week we have different conditions, ball, feeling. So I'm not going to think much about what happened in Australia because that would not be logical at all. I'm feeling great this week and I'm going to go with this confidence."
When she hasn't had to face Gauff in a tournament, Teichmann has done good damage in 2021. Since starting her season 0-2 against Gauff, the Swiss has made the quarterfinals of the Phillip Island Trophy and semifinals of the Adelaide International.
The winner faces the winner of Krejcikova/Potapova in Friday's semifinals.
Barbora Krejcikova vs. Anastasia Potapova
First Meeting
It's stunning to think that just six months ago, Barbora Krejcikova was considering abandoning her singles career. The former doubles No.1 had yet to crack the Top 100 in singles and had won only one main-draw match at a Slam.
Then came Roland Garros, where the crafty Czech advanced to her first Round of 16 at a Slam and a Top 100 debut. Krejcikova rode that momentum and confidence into the fall indoor season, making the Round of 16 in Ostrava and her first singles semifinal in Linz.
Now up to No.63 in the rankings, Krejcikova crossed another milestone off the list in Dubai, advancing to her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal. Krejcikova has not lost a set, tallying wins over Maria Sakkari, Jelena Ostapenko and Svetlana Kuznetsova.
With a spot in the semifinals on the line, Krejcikova will face one of two talented teenage wildcards left in the draw, Russia's Anastasia Potapova. The 19-year-old is into her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal as well, having beaten Laura Siegemund, Madison Keys and Belinda Bencic.
