Defending champion Elena Rybakina progressed to the semi-finals of the Abu Dhabi Open with a 6-2 4-6 7-6 (7-4) victory in opposition to Ons Jabeur.
In a rematch of the 2022 Wimbledon remaining – which Rybakina gained – the Kazakh broke twice to say the opening set in beneath half-hour.
Former world quantity two Jabeur managed the second set earlier than the third went to a tie-break after Rybakina did not convert two match factors.
World quantity 5 Rybakina got here from behind to win the tie-break and arrange a semi-final in opposition to Swiss wildcard Belinda Bencic, who beat Marketa Vondrousova 7-5 6-3 on Thursday.
Elsewhere, eighth seed Leylah Fernandez suffered a shock 7-5 4-6 6-2 loss to world quantity 51 Ashlyn Krueger, whereas Britain’s Heather Watson and Brazil’s Luisa Stefani have been crushed by fourth seeds Zhang Shuai and Kristina Mladenovic 5-7 6-2 10-3 within the ladies’s doubles quarter-finals.
Shuai and Mladenovic will face one other Briton – Olivia Nicholls – and her Australian accomplice Olivia Gadecki within the final 4.
High seeds Jelena Ostapenko and Ellen Perez eased by means of their quarter-final in opposition to Timea Babos and Nicole Melichar-Martinez 6-4 6-4, whereas Vondrousova and Laura Samsonova beat Makoto Ninomiya and Ulrikke Eikeri 6-4 6-1.
In the meantime, Australian Open champion Madison Keys has withdrawn from the Dubai Obligation Free Tennis Championships which begin on 16 February due to a leg harm. She has not performed since beating Aryna Sabalenka to win her first Grand Slam title final month.
