Iga Swiatek holds pristine record over Gauff to proceed to Dubai final

• Iga Swiatek holds a pristine record over Gauff to proceed to Dubai final.
• Swiatek won 6-4, 6-2 to advance to the title round against Barbora Krejcikova.
• Swiatek will go for a sixth WTA 1000 crown.

DUBAI: Iga Swiatek, the world’s top player, won in straight sets at the Dubai WTA semi-finals to bring her record against Coco Gauff to 6-0.

Swiatek won 6-4, 6-2 to advance to the title round against Barbora Krejcikova, who defeated Jessica Pegula 6-1, 5-7, 6-0.

On Saturday, Swiatek, who successfully defended her Doha championship the previous week, will go for a sixth WTA 1000 crown.

The 21-year-old Pole has already advanced to the quarterfinals at this level and won the championship each time.

The fewest games ever dropped by a player on their way to the title match at a WTA 1000 tournament have been the nine she has dropped en route to the final.

“I feel like it’s a little bit easier playing on slower hard courts compared to what we played in Australia. I just feel like I can do a little bit more, and I’m kind of using that,” explained Swiatek about her current ruthless form.

“It’s a combination of a couple of things because I also worked really hard to get my confidence back in Warsaw. And technique also I feel much better.”

A love break in game three gave Swiatek an early advantage, the world number one outlasting her teenage opponent in a long rally that ended with a Gauff forehand error.

Swiatek widened the gap as Gauff dropped serve again but the Pole couldn’t close out the set on her first attempt, getting broken for the first time in the eighth game.

To avoid two break points, Gauff dug deep. She ventured to the net and pummeled Swiatek with her backhand to hold for 4-5.

Swiatek had two more set points when serving for the set before she finally converted her fifth to win the first set in 51 minutes.

At the beginning of the second set, Gauff’s forehand gave out following a protracted exchange, handing Swiatek her service game. The top seed swiftly led 4-0.

Swiatek sprinted to the finish line and secured her place in the final in one hour and 28 minutes, despite the young American getting one of the breaks back.

The final on Saturday will be a rerun of the Ostrava championship match from last autumn, which Krejcikova defeated Swiatek in three sets.

Krejcikova, the 2021 runner-up in Dubai and the winner of the French Open, required two hours to exact revenge on Pegula for their recent Australian Open loss. Pegula played on Friday with a severely strapped leg and was unable to win to mark her 29th birthday.

On Saturday, she will face three-time major champion Swiatek with a head-to-head record of 1-2.

As the best player in the world right now, Krejcikova stated, “It’s always nice to play the best player in the world, and she is the best right now.” Krejcikova has now defeated five opponents ranked in the top five in her career.

“I’m really looking forward to facing her because she’s playing terrific tennis, and I think the final is going to be fantastic.”

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