(Tennis news) After two opening round exits in the 2022 season, Jessica Pegula had reached the quarterfinals at the Australian Open. After a few days of break she defeated Coco Gauff in their first ever meeting at the WTA 500 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. Gauff served 5 double faults in both sets as it gave free points to Pegula who held on the service break, the 17 year old also committed 52 unforced errors which pulled her back even more. 

The world number 14 only hit 9 winners in the match but had a minor scare when her three match points were dusted by the teenager with her super strong groundstrokes. When the world number 20 finally hit a slice which went long even though her counter attack was working perfectly as the 27 year old entered the fourth round. Pegula defeated Gauff 6-4, 6-4 and is one win away from 300 career wins.

Petra Kvitova secured her first victory over Camila Giorgi in 8 years, Kvitova’s victory at the 2014 Fed Cup was their first meeting and the left hander’s last win over Giorgi. The next two meetings were won by Italian including last year’s fourth round clash at Montreal. The former world number 2 only needed an hour and 8 minutes to beat her old rival, Kvitova saved all 4 breakpoints she faced in the match to keep her perfect service record. In the second set, there was no leniency by the 31 year old as she bageled the world number 29 who could only win a single point of her 2nd serve in the set . Kvitova defeated Giorgi 6-2, 6-0.

Simona Halep has already won 1 title in this season and reached the fourth round in Australia. The former world number 1 had won the event in 2015, 2020 and made her debut 10 years ago in the main draw. Alison Riske suffered her fourth loss in as many matches against the Romanian as she couldn’t break serve as she had 2 chances in the second set. Riske was hitting her strokes in the middle of the court and could only find winners from the net. Halep defeated Riske 6-2, 6-4.

Iga Swiatek notched up her 9th win of the season and is looking to enter the semifinal for the third consecutive time this season. Swiatek was against familiar foe Daria Kasatkina who she had met a few weeks back in Australia. The 6th seed lost 3 points in each set off her first serve and lost 5 points each on her second serve. Kasatkina was broken 5 times in the match, 2 of them were in the second set where the Russian denied four other chances. Swiatek defeated Kasatkina 6-1, 6-2.

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