By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Wednesday, February 5, 2025
Defending champion Elena Rybakina beat qualifier Katie Volynets 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 to score her fifth straight win at the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open.
Photo credit: Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open
Reigning Abu Dhabi champion Elena Rybakina and returning finalist Daria Kasatkina were both pushed to the limit by American opponents.
Rybakina rallied into the quarterfinals and Kasatkina fell at the first hurdle.
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After some early mis-fires, Rybakina repelled qualifier Katie Volynets 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 to score her fifth straight win at the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open.
The top-seeded Rybakina hit seven aces against seven double faults and saved seven of 11 break points in a two hour, 27-minute win.
The agile Volynets actually won more total points (104 to 99), but Rybakina got stronger as the match progressed, jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the decider and closed to improve to 10-2 on the year.
The 2022 Wimbledon champion Rybakina will play Ons Jabeur in a rematch of the 2022 Wimbledon final for a spot in the Abu Dhabi semifinals.
Two-time Wimbledon finalist Jabeur ended the run of 17-year-old Japanese qualifier Wakana Sonobe 6-3, 6-3 for her second straight Abu Dhabi quarterfinal.
American Ashlyn Krueger surprised Daria Kasatkina 1-6, 7-5, 6-4.
The 20-year-old Krueger has reached three quarterfinals in four tournaments this year—Brisbane, Adelaide and Abu Dhabi—and has rallied from a set down twice this week. Krueger, who upset Mirra Andreeva in the US Open second round last summer, will face former US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez for a semifinal spot.
In a battle of left-handers, Fernandez ran off seven straight games dismissing New Zealand’s Lulu Sun 6-0, 6-3.
Hard-hitting Linda Noskova toppled second-seeded Paula Badosa 6-4, 6-1 in 67 minutes.
The 20-year-old Noskova won eight of the last nine games to advance to a quarterfinal against Magda Linette.