Clara Tauson defeats world number 1 Sabalenka in round 16

via X

World number one Aryna Sabalenka exited the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Wednesday night following a 3-6, 2-6 defeat to unseeded Clara Tauson of Denmark.

The Belarusian was far from the only top seed to fall too, with reigning champion Jasmine Paolini, world number 5 Jessica Pegula, and world number 9 Emma Navarro all crashing out to unseeded opponents.

Tauson, the world number 38, claimed the biggest scalp though, with her emphatic win against three-time Grand Slam winner Sabalenka seeing the 22-year-old progress to a WTA 1000 quarter final for the first time in her career. Sabalenka, in contrast, has now failed to reach the last eight in Dubai from six of her nine attempts.

Dominating the Belarusian for close to an hour and a half, Tauson served seven aces, broke her opponent’s serve six times, and resolutely held the lead from as early as the third game. The Dane’s victory came just a month after suffering a third-round loss to Sabalenka at the Australian Open.

 

 

More from Sports

Coming Up on Dubai Eye

  • The Debrief

    4:00pm - 7:00pm

    Join Dane & Lucy on Dubai Eye 103.8 for The Debrief from 4pm to 7pm, the perfect way to unwind after a busy day at the office.

  • The Score

    7:00pm - 9:00pm

    Hosted by Chris McHardy, The Score is your comprehensive guide to the world of sport.

BUSINESS BREAKFAST LATEST

On Dubai Eye

  • Is There Sufficient House Supply In UAE

    Dubai’s current population is more than double compared to almost twenty years ago, which now stands at 3.7 million. Lots of families are also moving to the UAE now. So what does it mean for the property market?

  • Noon's First Female Delivery Driver

    Glory Ehirim Nkiruka is Noon’s first ever female delivery driver. In her first ever interview, she explained why she loves her job, despite the heat!