Photo: EPA
Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina won a grueling semifinal on Friday, February 20, at the WTA 1000 hard-court tournament in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
In a match lasting 3 hours and 5 minutes, she defeated world No. 4 Coco Gauff in three sets, 6–4, 6–7, 6–4. In the final, Svitolina will face Jessica Pegula.
This is Svitolina’s third career final in Dubai; she previously won the title in 2017 and 2018. The 31-year-old is a former world No. 3 and the most decorated tennis player in Ukraine’s history, with 19 singles titles.
She also claimed a bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, the first Olympic tennis medal for independent Ukraine.
