Angelique Kerber falls in Dubai, but Petra Kvitova and Simona Halep safely through

Fifth seed Angelique Kerber was the latest top-ranked player to get knocked out of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships while Petra Kvitova and Simona Halep scored contrasting wins.
Just a day after world No 1 Naomi Osaka was stunned by Kristina Mladenovic in the first round, Kerber followed her out of the tournament as she was upset by unseeded Hsieh Su-wei.
The German collapsed completely in the deciding set as the 31-year-old Su-wei, who beat then world No 1 Halep at Wimbledon last year, won 5-7, 6-4, 6-0.
Hsieh Su-Wei earns her fourth Top 10 win at @DDFTennis
Upsets Kerber 5-7, 6-4, 6-0! pic.twitter.com/n6vUO9xSLn
— WTA (@WTA) February 20, 2019
Next up for the Taiwanese player is fourth seed Karolina Pliskova after the Czech came through two tie-breakers against American Alison Riske, winning 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-5).
World No 2 Kvitova needed three sets to book her place in the quarter-final as she beat Jennifer Brady from the United States 7-5, 1-6, 6-3.
“I’m still breathing heavily!”
We’re not surprised, @Petra_Kvitova, after that match!
— WTA (@WTA) February 20, 2019
But reigning French Open champion Halep had an easier time as she beat Lesia Tsurenko 6-3, 7-5 and she will meet Belinda Bencic next after the resurgent Swiss stunned seventh seed Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (9-7).
And this is how she did it!
6-3, 7-5 for @simona_halep against a tenacious Tsurenko!@DDFTennis pic.twitter.com/ynOKmqasSH
— WTA (@WTA) February 20, 2019
Defending Dubai champion and sixth seed Elina Svitolina looked quite comfortable as she dropped only three games en route to beating two-time Grand Slam winner Garbine Muguruza 6-1, 6-3.
Next up for the Ukrainian is Carla Suarez Navarro, who beat Osaka’s conqueror Mladenovic 7-5, 7-5.
More from Tennis365:
-
-
Who is most likely to take a 2019 men’s Grand Slam from Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer?
-
Johnny Nic on match-fixing: Tennis needs to be as corrupt as the corrupters
-
Roger Federer the doubles player: Did you know he won a ‘bizarre’ title with Marat Safin?
-
QUIZ! Test your knowledge on the ATP Tour’s ace record-holders
-
Latest
-
News
John McEnroe and Tim Henman in feisty exchange over Wimbledon’s Russia ban
Former world No 1 John McEnroe challenged…
-
French Open
Battling Emma Raducanu finds words to sum up her first French Open win
Emma Raducanu narrowly avoided a taste of her own medicine after coming from a set down.
-
French Open
Menacing Novak Djokovic sends out powerful warning at French Open
Djokovic beat Japan’s Nishioka 6-3 6-1 6-0 in a one-sided first night match of the tournament.
-
French Open
Rafael Nadal claims 299th Grand Slam match win at Roland Garros
Rafael Nadal dominated his French Open first round match against Jordan Thompson.
-
Tennis News
John McEnroe reveals how Iga Swiatek and Serena Williams are alike
Will Iga Swiatek become the sixth women to claim ten or more Grand Slams in the open era?
-
Wimbledon
Naomi Osaka considers skipping pointless Wimbledon
The former world number one says she is ‘leaning more towards not playing’.
-
French Open
French Open: Iga Swiatek extends streak to 29, Naomi Osaka bows out
World No 1 Iga Swiatek is looking forward to some sightseeing after dispatching Lesia Tsurenko in short order.
-
French Open
Goran Ivanisevic insists Novak Djokovic isn’t Roland Garros favourite
Goran Ivanisevic says as long as Rafael Nadal is in the French Open field there can be no other favourite.
-
French Open
French Open: Dominic Thiem feels ‘pretty far away from a win’ after exit
The former world number three, a finalist at Roland Garros in 2018 and 2019, bowed out in straight sets.
-
French Open
Carlos Alcaraz proves French Open title credentials with dominant first-round victory
Carlos Alcaraz powers into the second round at Roland Garros.