Press releases

11 Mar 2021

Sabalenka to play Muguruza in Dubai quarterfinal

MINSK, 11 March (BelTA) – Belarus’ world number 8 Aryna Sabalenka will take on Spain’s world number 16 Garbine Muguruza in the quarterfinal of the 2021 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on 11 March, BelTA has learned.

The two players have faced each other twice, with each claiming a victory. The winner of today’s encounter will play either Belgium’s world number 18 Elise Mertens or world number 36 Jessica Pegula of the United States in the semifinal.

Aryna Sabalenka kicked off her campaign at the 2021 Dubai Tennis Championships with a 6-2, 6-4 win over France’s world number 59 Alize Cornet and secured her second win against Estonia’s world number 24 Anett Kontaveit, 6-3, 6-2.

Other quarterfinal matches today will feature world number 63 Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic and world number 88 Anastasia Potapova of Russia, and world number 54 Jil Teichmann of Switzerland and world number 40 Coco Gauff of the United States.

Belarus’ world number 76 Egor Gerasimov will face Russia’s world number 3 Daniil Medvedev for a spot in the quarterfinal in Marseille. The Belarusian lost two previous encounters to the Russian player. Egor Gerasimov reached the round of Last 16 in Marseille moving past Germany's world number 105 Yannick Hanfmann 6-2, 6-0.

The tournament in Dubai will be over on 13 March, the competitions in Marseille – on 14 March.