It’s time for the quarterfinal round of the 2024 WTA Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. Top seed Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina are still in the tournament, trying to secure a rematch of their final from Doha last week. Who do you think will make the final four?
WTA Dubai Quarterfinal Predictions
Marketa Vondrousova vs Sorana Cirstea
Head-to-head: Cirstea 2-1
Sorana Cirstea has had a great Middle East Swing so far, even considering her blowout losses to Iga Swiatek and Daria Kasatkina. But basically all the other performances have been spot on and her serving looks as good as ever. Now she’ll take on Marketa Vondrousova, whom she defeated last year in Miami in fairly comparable conditions. The bigger pressure to be there with the level is probably on Cirstea than on the more established Czech, but if she can keep serving as she has been…
Prediction: Cirstea in 3
Anna Kalinskaya vs Coco Gauff
Head-to-head: First meeting
It’s great to see that Anna Kalinskaya’s fantastic patch of play didn’t end with the Australian Open; she’s also pulling this off in the Middle East. The underrated ball-striker is no longer underrated and the question becomes whether she can take down Coco Gauff here. The American has been looking a bit fragile and the faster conditions might help Kalinskaya take the ball early and target the forehand weaknesses. On paper, an upset seems entirely possible.
Prediction: Kalinskaya in 3
Jasmine Paolini vs Elena Rybakina
Head-to-head: 1-1
Elena Rybakina has been ridiculous this year with the only stain on her record being her early loss in the most important event of them all. The only question mark here is her fitness as this will be her 12th match in 15 days. Jasmine Paolini is still playing the best tennis of her career, but the quality gap exists and she won’t be able to respond if Rybakina can bring anything close to her peak level. Let’s say the Kazakh still has more left in the tank as she just keeps fighting through any issues that present themselves.
Prediction: Rybakina in 2
Iga Swiatek vs Qinwen Zheng
Head-to-head: Swiatek 5-0
Dubai has historically been tougher for Iga Swiatek than Doha, in fact she’s yet to win this title after losing to Barbora Krejcikova in the final last year. The courts are much faster than in Qatar and not as bouncy. But the Pole seems to be hitting with good rhythm this week anyway, perhaps playing herself into the right groove with the match against Sloane Stephens, who was keeping her honest. As awesome as Qinwen Zheng has been since the US Open, she’s never really come close to a win of this quality.
Prediction: Swiatek in 2
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports
