Jelena Ostapenko and Lyudmyla Kichenok fought back from a set down to secure their place in the Doubles semi-finals at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. Ostapenko, who reached both the Singles and Doubles finals in Dubai last year, wished she could channel the relaxed mindset she applies to Doubles into her Singles game after losing to Aryna Sabalenka earlier this week. In Friday’s semi-final, Ostapenko and Kichenok will face Veronika Kudermetova and Liudmila Samsonova.
Desirae Krawczyk and Demi Schuurs will play Taiwan’s Chan sisters, Hao-ching and Latisha, in the other semi-final. Tickets for the Championships are available at dubaidutyfreetennischampionships.com or at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium Box Office.
The semi-finalists in the Doubles at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships battled hard for their place. Kudermetova and Samsonova won against North American pair Leylah Fernandez and Bethanie Mattek-Sands, while Desirae Krawczyk and Demi Schuurs beat Monica Niculescu and Kimberley Zimmermann. The Championships, which carry equal prize money for both the WTA and ATP events, are owned and organised by Dubai Duty Free and held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.