Anisimova Survives Andreeva Thriller for Dubai Semifinal Spot
Amanda Anisimova rallied from the edge in a gripping quarterfinal against defending champion Mirra Andreeva at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, setting up an all-American clash with Jessica Pegula that could reshape their rivalry.
Under Dubai’s glaring lights, Amanda Anisimova stared down Mirra Andreeva’s title defense in the quarterfinals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. The No. 2 seed absorbed a punishing 2-6 first set, where Andreeva’s heavy topspin forehands dominated from the baseline, forcing Anisimova into hurried defenses. But she clawed back with a 7-5 second, her inside-out forehands starting to carve angles that pulled the 18-year-old off the court.
The decider twisted into high drama, Andreeva surging to a 5-3 lead with sharp crosscourt returns that tested Anisimova’s footing on the medium-fast hard courts. Anisimova held firm, forcing a tiebreak where her deep 1–2 patterns—serve followed by a heavy forehand—disrupted the rhythm, sealing a 7-6(4) escape on her fourth match point after 2 hours and 38 minutes. Andreeva’s final backhand drifted long, leaving the teenager doubled over in exhaustion and defeat.
“I was almost in tears there at the end,” Anisimova said in her on-court interview. She wasn’t the only one; after Andreeva’s final backhand went long, the 18-year-old bent double with the emotion.
“It was such a tough battle, and I thought we played incredible tennis,” Anisimova continued. “Seeing Mirra down like that, it’s understandable. We both fought so hard today, and it made me emotional seeing her like that. She was playing so well, she’s the defending champion and I feel like we both won on the court today. These type of matches, it’s always tough that someone has to lose at the end of the day.”
Tiebreak exposes champion’s pressure
Andreeva carried the weight of her breakthrough win here last year, her aggressive baseline game thriving early on the low-bouncing surface. She built that third-set edge with down-the-line passes that punished Anisimova’s occasional net rushes, the crowd’s hum rising with each winner. Yet as errors mounted in the tiebreak, the No. 5 seed’s poise frayed, her underspin backhands floating short under the mounting stakes.
Anisimova’s adjustments proved decisive, mixing slice to neutralize the pace and inside-in forehands to wrong-foot her opponent. This marks her first Top 10 win of 2026 and first semifinal since the 2025 WTA Finals in Riyadh, while it’s the second straight nailbiter over Andreeva—the prior a 7-6(5), 2-6, 6-3 battle in Miami that snapped the Russian’s 13-match streak. The emotional toll showed in Andreeva’s visible heartbreak, a raw reminder of defending at just 18.
American semifinal reignites head-to-head
Waiting in the all-American semifinal is No. 4 seed Jessica Pegula, who outlasted No. 12 seed Clara Tauson—last year’s runner-up—in a 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 grind, extending her streak to seven consecutive WTA semifinals since the 2025 US Open. Pegula’s flat crosscourt backhands wore down Tauson in the decider, her return depth forcing errors on the hard courts that reward consistency. This reprise of their Australian Open quarterfinal last month, where Pegula won 6-2, 7-6(1), gives her a perfect 4-0 edge in their meetings.
Both chase a first Dubai final, the matchup layering national pride atop personal stakes. Anisimova’s fresh resilience could challenge Pegula’s steady game, especially if she deploys the same tactical shifts that toppled Andreeva. For full match details, check the Scores, Draws, and Order of play for Dubai.
The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships pulse with rising tension, Anisimova’s survival injecting momentum into her season. Pegula’s experience looms large, but the American’s evolving patterns hint at a tighter contest this time. As semifinals unfold, every rally carries the weight of hard-court aspirations.
