Swiatek masters Yastremska despite tough first set in Dubai

Iga Swiatek was quick off the mark in her Dubai debut. Exempted from the first round, the world no. 2 wasted no time in dominating Victoria Azarenka (6-0, 6-2) and had an affordable round-of-16 tie against Dayana Yastremska.

The Ukrainian dominated Magda Linette (6-3, 7-5) then Anastasia Potapova (6-3, 6-2) to reach this stage of the competition.

Incidentally, the two women have only faced each other once before this head-to-head in Dubai, and that was at the BJK Cup in 2019. Back then, Yastremska won (7-6, 6-4), but a lot has changed since then.

The first set was tight and indecisive. Well on form, Yastremska often managed to neutralize Swiatek with a good length of ball.

The Pole, not necessarily at ease with her opponent's power, twice took a break lead, but the Ukrainian, ranked 48th in the world, held on and came back to 5-5.

Behind the break, the serve of Yastremska, semi-finalist at the Australian Open 2024, deteriorated and Swiatek closed out the first set with just 2 short winners (compared to 16 for Yastremska, also guilty of 31 unforced errors).

In the second set, Swiatek took it all in her stride, no longer really worried by a player who didn't demerit, but who just couldn't keep up for the duration of the match.

In 1h29 of play, last year's semi-finalist in the United Arab Emirates came out on top (7-5, 6-0) and will meet in the quarter-finals the player who emerges victorious from the opposition between Peyton Stearns and Mirra Andreeva.