By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Wednesday, February 19, 2025
Clara Tauson tore through seven of the last nine games battering world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 6-2 to charge into her maiden WTA 1000 quarterfinal in Dubai.
Photo credit: Christopher Pike/Getty
Patience is a virtue.
Armed with only one career Top 10 win, Clara Tauson was in no mood to play the waiting game today.
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In a striking show of first-strike tennis, Tauson tore through seven of the last nine games battering world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 6-2 to charge into her maiden WTA 1000 quarterfinal in Dubai.
Carrying an ignominious 1-8 lifetime record vs. Top 10 opponents onto court, Tauson commanded the center of the court and frequently forced the top-seeded Sabalenka into defensive positions.
It is Tauson’s first Top-10 win since she surprised No. 7 Anett Kontaveit at the 2022 Australian Open.
At last month’s AO, defending champion Sabalenka squeezed out a 7-6(5), 6-4 third-round win over Tauson.
In today’s rematch, WTA ace leader Tauson torched seven aces against one double fault.
Belting deep returns right back down the middle, Tauson broke first for a 3-2 lead and repeatedly handcuffed Sabalenka with crackling returns right back at the Belarusian’s feet.
World No. 38 Tauson converted six of 16 break points in the match.
Bolting a backhand down the line gave Tauson double break point in the seventh game. Rapping a forehand return right back into the body, Tauson broke for a 5-2 lead after just 26 minutes of play.
US Open champion Sabalenka broke back for 3-5 only to face a Tauson barrage in the following game. Tauson hammered a forehand return that backed the Belarusian up forcing a netted reply to end the opening set with the break.
Swinging freely, Tauson rolled out to a 4-1 second-set lead and never looked back improving to 13-3 in 2025.
Auckland champion Tauson will take on Linda Noskova in a battle of big hitters for a Dubai semifinal spot.
Earlier, Noskova knocked off Jessica Pegula 6-3, 7-6(8). Noskova saved set points at 5-6 and 7-8 down in the tiebreaker before converting her second match point in a 94-minute victory.
Noskova hit eight aces topping the fifth-seeded American.
Three of the Top 5 seeds lost today.
The 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin ran off seven straight games crushing fourth-seeded Jasmine Paolini 6-4, 6-0.
Wild card Kenin will face former Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina for a semifinal spot.
Rybakina made a spirited staved off six match points, including fending off four break points in the second-set tiebreaker en route to a comeback win.
No. 6-seeded Rybakina ripped 10 aces and saved 12 of 17 break points squeezing past Paula Badosa 4-7, 7-6(8), 7-6(2) Rybakina saved match points at 3-6, 4-6, 5-6 and 7-8 in the second-set tiebreaker. Badosa saved a match point when Rybakina served for the match at 5-4.
Then Rybakina repelled two more match points—at 15-40 and 30-40—as she navigated a gritty hold at 5-6 to force the tiebreaker.