EXPERIENCED WTA Tour campaigner, Garbine Muguruza will look to secure her eighth singles title of her career when she faces up against traditional doubles-specialist Barbora Krejcikova in the Dubai 1000 final tonight. The world number 16 and former world number one defeated Belgium’s Elise Mertens in an all-seeded battle, while Krejcikova knocked off Switzerland’s Jil Teichmann to reach the final.

The ninth seeded Spaniard defeated Mertens in two hours and seven minutes in their clash, winning 6-4 7-6 in a tight one fit for a major semi-final. Muguruza’s serving could still improve with eight double faults to one aces, but she won 62 and 54.5 per cent off her first and second serve points, and a 60.2 per cent clip. Mertens was solid with a better ace-to-double-fault ratio (two to five), but only won 56.3 and 47.1 per cent of her first and second serve points off a 58.5 per cent first serve efficiency. Muguruza also broke the Belgian five times to four during the match.

“You have to be all the time concentrated, otherwise she will come back,” Muguruza said post-match. “I didn’t lose the focus even though I couldn’t close it [at first] – I was just looking forward to the next opportunity.”

Muguruza will now head into the final hoping to win her first title since 2019, and first at a tournament other than Monterrey since 2017. where she won at Wimbledon and Cincinnatti. As a two-time Grand Slam winner and two-time Grand Slam runner-up, Muguruza has more than enough experience on the big stage, and is in form this year following her Yarra Valley Classic runner-up showing.

Krejcikova made her way into the Dubai final with a good 7-5 6-2 win over Teichmann. The Czech took one hour and 43 minutes to dispose of the Swiss talent after a tight first set, but she served four aces to two, and had higher percentages off her first serve (69.5 to 66.7 per cent), first serve points won (71.9 to 61.9) and second serve points won (40 to 38.1). She also remarkably saved 10 of 11 break points, whilst capitalising on four break points from nine chances herself. It did not always go her way though, with the Czech facing two set points in the first match before fighting back to break, and then hold on in a classic.

“Today I wasn’t really playing my best, but also because Jil didn’t really let me play my best,” Krejcikova said post-match. “I’m just really happy that I was able to save those two set points in the first set. Then I just found my rhythm a little bit better, then I was just really happy that I was able to close it.”

“Since the first match, I felt really good, with the balls, with the court, with the conditions here. “I’m just really happy that I can still keep going, that I still feel good, and I’m just enjoying myself all the time when I’m on the court — winning or even losing, I’m always enjoying being on court.”

Unlike Muguruza, Krejcikova has just the one singles final and no WTA Tour titles to her name, with a 2017 Nurnberg finals appearance. However in terms of her doubles, her CV is littered. Regularly teaming up with compatriot Katerina Siniakova, Krejcikova has won Junior Grand Slam titles at Roland Garros, Wimbledon and US Open, and then backed up those majors with Roland Garros and Wimbledon titles at WTA Tour level. They are two of seven WTA Tour doubles titles, and eight finals appearances, where she is currently ranked seventh in the world in that format, and reached a career-high world number one in October, 2018. Now the 25-year-old will be doing it alone against Muguruza for her maiden singles title.

DUBAI TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS:

[9] Garbine Muguruza (ESP) defeated [10] Elise Mertens (BEL) 6-4 7-6
Barbora Krejcikova (CZE) defeated Jil Teichmann (SUI) 7-5 6-2

Picture credit: Getty Images