There should be some blockbuster tennis on quarterfinals day at the WTA Dubai Tennis Championships and, as always, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for all four matches. But who will advance to Friday’s semifinals?
WTA Dubai Quarterfinal Predictions
Elina Svitolina vs Antonia Ruzic
Head-to-head: first meeting
One suspects that Antonia Ruzic can scarcely believe that she is in a WTA 1000 quarterfinal for the first time, but after benefitting from a reprieve having lost in the qualifying, the Croatian lucky loser has unquestiobaly earned her spot in the last eight with wins over two Grand Slam champions. Her latest win against Elena Rybakina was undoubtedly her biggest, albeit it came via the Kazakh’s retirement. While Ruzic has barely survived this section of the draw, Elina Svitolina has controlled it, beating Paula Badosa (retirement) and former champion Belinda Bencic en route to the last eight. When her game is firing on all cylinders, the Ukrainian gives almost nothing away and that discipline should be enough to seal another win.
Prediction: Svitolina in 2
Coco Gauff vs Alexandra Eala
Head-to-head: first meeting
Coco Gauff nearly lost to Elise Mertens for the first time. However, the second seed secured a hard-fought three-set win over the Belgian to reach her fourth career quarterfinal in Dubai. Alexandra Eala, meanwhile, is through to the last eight on her debut after pulling off a fantastic result against the in-form Sorana Cirstea in the third round. Gauff’s serve has wavered (30 double faults in two matches) and her forehand’s stability under pressure is a real question mark, particularly in quicker conditions. With nothing to lose, if Eala can open her shoulders and keep the points short and on her terms by consistently attack Gauff’s second serve, she might just be able to pull off the upset.
Prediction: Eala in 3
Jessica Pegula vs Clara Tauson
Head-to-head: first meeting
There was a potential upset alert in Jessica Pegula’s last 16 match against compatriot Iva Jovic. But the more experienced American ultimately dispatched the 18-year-old in straight sets to reach the Dubai quarterfinals for the first time since 2023. Clara Tauson, meanwhile, was on fire when she last competed in Dubai, racing to her first WTA 1000 final before losing out to Mirra Andreeva. The Dane has quickly regained her mojo in Dubai after an inconsistent start to the season. She’s reached the last eight without losing a set. That said, sustaining a high first-serve percentage and low error tolerance against Pegula is demanding. The fourth seed is a fine absorber of pace and she should expose any fluctuations from Tauson in the match.
Prediction: Pegula in 3
Mirra Andreeva vs Amanda Anisimova
Head-to-head: Anisimova 1-0 Andreeva
Even though there has been a spate of withdrawals by the top players, this quarterfinal pit two top 10 players against each other. Andreeva won this tournament last year, dropping just a single set in six matches. She has extended her win streak to seven after her latest victory over Jaqueline Cristian. Anisimova looked sharp and solid in her first match since surrendering her title in Doha. The American cruised past Indonesia’s Janice Tjen in straight sets. The edge that Andreeva carried throughout her title-winning run last year hasn’t quite surfaced, and if Anisimova is allowed to swing freely, she has the heavier gear to hit through the Russian.
Prediction: Anisimova in 3
Main photo credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images