Rybakina saves six match points against Badosa to make quarters in Dubai

Kazakh Elena Rybakina, the No 6 seed, advanced to the quarter-finals of the Dubai Open by edging out Spaniard Paula Badosa, the No 9 seed, 4-6, 7-6 (8), 7-6 (2) at The Aviation Club Tennis Centre on Wednesday.

Rybakina snatched victory from the jaws of defeat as she saved a staggering six match points that Badosa created. She saved four of those in the second-set tiebreak and two in the 12th game of the decider on serve.

The closely fought battle lasted two hours, 51 minutes, with the Kazakh converting her first and only match point that came in the third-set tiebreaker. In total, she fired ten aces, two more than Badosa, with both players committing eight double faults each.

Rybakina, ranked No 7, will play American wildcard Sofia Kenin next.

The Kazakh won against Japanese qualifier Moyuka Uchijima (6-3, 6-2) in the previous round of the Dubai tournament.

In the previous rounds of the Dubai tournament, Badosa, ranked No 10, beat New Zealander Lulu Sun (6-3, 6-4) and Belgian Elise Mertens (6-2, 6-1).

Dubai WTA 1000, other last 16 results (The Aviation Club Tennis Centre, hard, USD 3.664.963, most recent results first):

• Sorana Cirstea vs. Emma Navarro
• Aryna Sabalenka vs. Clara Tauson
• McCartney Kessler vs. Karolina Muchova
• Peyton Stearns vs. Mirra Andreeva
• Iga Swiatek (2) beat Dayana Yastremska: 7-5, 6-0
• Linda Noskova beat Jessica Pegula (5): 6-3, 7-6 (8)
• Sofia Kenin beat Jasmine Paolini (4): 6-4, 6-0

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