Iga Swiatek and Liudmila Samsonova will take on each other in the second round of the 2023 WTA Dubai Open on February 22.
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Iga Swiatek keeps crushing rivals in the Middle East. The top seed defeated former US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez, 6-1, 6-1, in 72 minutes to start her third consecutive appearance in Dubai. This came after she successfully defended her Qatar Open title with only five games lost, setting a new WTA record for the 16-28 draw category. She lost in the last 16 of this competition the previous two years to eventual champions Garbine Muguruza and Jelena Ostapenko. The Pole went on to start a 37-match winning streak and win eight titles in the season, including two Grand Slams, after the loss to the Latvian the previous year.
Liudmila Samsonova must have exhaled in relief when Zheng Qinwen withdrew from the second round. After losing in straight sets to world no. 210 Sofia Kenin in Doha, the new world No. 13 became engrossed in a three-hour and 22-minute struggle with Paula Badosa on Sunday and just about managed to escape with a 6-7, 7-6, 6-4 victory. The Russian player has lost two consecutive matches in four of her first five tournaments of the season, but she made up for it by competing in the final in Abu Dhabi, where she lost three championship points. She is competing in Dubai’s main draw for the first time and is aiming for her 11th quarterfinal of her career and her first-ever at a WTA 1000 event.
| Iga Swiatek vs Liudmila Samsonova | Match details |
|---|---|
| Date | February 22, 2023 |
| Surface | Hard |
| Tournament | Dubai Open |
| Stage | Round of 16 |
| Time (India) | 4:30 pm |
| Time (Dubai) | 3 pm |
| Opponent | Score |
|---|---|
| Leylah Fernandez | 6-1, 6-1 (W) |
| Jessica Pegula | 6-3, 6-0 (W) |
| Belinda Bencic | Walkover (W) |
| Danielle Collins | 6-0, 6-1 (W) |
| Elena Rybakina | 6-4, 6-4 (L) |
| Opponent | Score |
|---|---|
| Qinwen Zheng | Walkover (W) |
| Paula Badosa | 7-6, 6-7, 4-6 (W) |
| Sofia Kenin | 6-3, 6-1 (L) |
| Belinda Bencic | 6-1, 6-7, 4-6 (L) |
| Qinwen Zheng | 4-6, 6-1, 4-6 (W) |
Iga Swiatek has a 1-0 lead. The world No. 1 will undoubtedly be the overwhelming favourite, but she did not have it easy when she faced the Russian in the Stuttgart semifinal last year. When she had to serve to stay in the game, she almost saw her winning streak end before winning 6-7, 6-4, 7-5 in three hours.
Iga Swiatek and Liudmila Samsonova will take on each other in the second round of the 2023 WTA Dubai Open on February 22.
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