A POTENTIAL semi-final rematch between number one seed, Simona Halep and Australian Open runner-up, Garbine Muguruza has been spoiled with the ninth seeded Spaniard bundled out of the Dubai Tennis Championships in three sets.

Muguruza went down to American Jennifer Brady who is enjoying some career-best form at the moment, defeating top five player Elina Svitolina in the second round, and now ousting the two-time Grand Slam winner. Brady had to come from a set down to post a 6-7 6-3 6-4 win in their quarter final – a match that lasted two hours and nine minutes. Brady served one less ace (6-7) but did a wealth of work off Muguruza’s return, winning 43.3 per cent of her second return points. She won just one additional point compared to her opponent, but the most crucial stat was the fact that she saved a massive nine of 10 break point opportunities for her opponent, and then broke four times from just six chances, a couple of which eventually created the two winning sets after going a tiebreaker down. The world number 52 is still only 24-years-old but seems to have been around for a lot longer, though has never collected a WTA Tour title. Her upset win has moved Brady up to 45th in the work, and an unlikely title could see the American rise up to as high as 35th.

Brady now faces number one seed and world number two, Halep who advanced through to the semis with a 3-6 6-2 6-2 come-from-behind win herself, against seventh seed Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka. Brady and Halep have faced off once already this year at Melbourne Park, with Halep winning 7-6 6-1 in the first round. With scalps that not only include Svitolina and Muguruza, but world number one Ash Barty in a couple of months on tour this year, Brady is becoming a real giant-killer. Up the other end of the draw, Elena Rybakina‘s remarkable 2020 season rolled on with a terrific 7-6 6-3 victory over second seed, Karolina Pliskova to book a spot in the semi-finals. The Kazakhstani – who is a win away from making her fourth final from five tournaments – takes on eighth seed Petra Martic who overcame some shaky form of her own to take out Estonian Anett Kontaveit, one of the more in-form players running around.

QUARTER FINALS RESULTS:

[1] Simona Halep (ROU) defeated [7] Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) 3-6 6-2 6-2
Elena Rybakina (KAZ) defeated [2] Karolina Pliskova (CZE) 7-6 6-3
[8] Petra Martic (CRO) defeated Anett Kontaveit (EST) 7-6 6-1
Jennifer Brady (USA) defeated [9] Garbine Mugurza (ESP) 6-7 6-3 6-4