Mertens stages epic comeback
Elise Mertens battled back from the brink of defeat to beat Jessica Pegula and reach the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships semi-finals on Thursday.
Having lost the first set from a position of strength, Mertens found herself 2-5 down in the second before staging an epic comeback to defeat Pegula 5-7, 7-5, 6-0 in two hours and 47 minutes.
Belgium's Mertens, seeded 10th, looked poised to take the opening set when she broke for a 5-4 lead, but Pegula broke straight back to love to level. After holding to love for eight straight points, the American used that momentum to break again and seal a marathon 75-minute set.
Pegula, who is enjoying a fine run of form following a quarter-final appearance at the Australian Open and a run to the semi-finals last week in Doha, put herself in control when she broke for a 3-1 lead in the second set.
After both players held serve twice each, Pegula had the chance to serve for the match at 5-3. Mertens applied the pressure to break back to love, but the Belgian soon found herself facing three match points when trailing 0-40 on her service game.
Pegula's failure to convert any of those chances proved costly and the American never recovered from that disappointment. Mertens proceeded to win the next nine games to steal the second set and 'bagel' her opponent in the third to reach the semi-finals.
Mertens, 25, will play either third seed Aryna Sabalenka or ninth seed Garbine Muguruza for a place in the final.
Krejcikova first into semi-finals
Barbora Krejcikova is the first player to book her place in the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships semi-finals after the Czech thrashed Anastasia Potapova 6-0, 6-2 on Thursday.
Krejcikova, the world No 63, dominated her Russian opponent from start to finish to wrap up a memorable victory in just 62 minutes.
Krejcikova laid down a marker from the very first game when she broke Potapova at her second attempt and repeated the trick in the third and fifth games. The Czech was also solid on serve and didn't face a single break point en route to a first set whitewash.
Krejcikova took the early advantage in the second set with a break for a 2-1 lead, but Potapova fought back in the next game to level. However, that was as good as it got for the Russian as Krejcikova won the next four games, clinching the victory with an ace and with it, her third WTA Tour semi-final appearance.
Krejcikova, 25, will take on either American Cori Gauff or Switzerland's Jil Teichmann in the Friday's semi-finals.
Order of play
Centre Court - starting at 2pm
Barbora Krejcikova (CZE) bt [WC] Anastasia Potapova (RUS) 6-0, 6-2
Elise Mertens (BEL) [10] bt Jessica Pegula (USA) 5-7, 7-5, 6-0
Not before 7pm
Garbinne Muguruza (ESP) [9] bt Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) [3] 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
Jil Teichmann (SUI) bt [WC] Cori Gauff (USA) 6-3, 6-3
