Dubai: Australian Open doubles champion Lucie Safarova is plotting a way to retain her top-20 ranking, if not break into the top-10, on the WTA Tour this season.

The 28-year-old, who partnered Bethanie Mattek-Sands to claim the doubles crown in Melbourne earlier this year, is keen on retaining her position as one of the elite women players.

But on Thursday, after leading by a set, she wilted in the later stages of her Dubai Women’s Open quarter-final against countrywoman Karolina Pliskova to lose 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-1 after nearly two-and-a-half hours on centre court.

“The goal for this season would obviously be to keep my ranking, which is 15. It’s not easy always to perform great every year, so I’m going to try to do my best. The dream is to be top 10 and I’m working towards that,” Safarova told media.

Safarova had a good 2014, during which the experienced Czech reached her maiden Grand Slam semi-final at Wimbledon, where she lost to Petra Kvitova.

She is also aware that there are hungry players, especially the younger ones, who want to win everything and upstage the experienced stars.

“I think it’s just that once you have such a good year, you’re suddenly in the different position where the players have nothing to lose against you and they just perform at their best. So it’s not easy to keep the high level, because you have to always play one hundred per cent.

“I enjoy Wimbledon a lot. It’s nice to play on grass, so I’m going to be excited to be there again. Of course it’s not easy to reach the semi-finals again, but I will take it step by step.”

On her way to her second quarter-final in as many weeks, Safarova dumped defending champion Venus Williams on Wednesday, giving her immense confidence until she ran out of gas against Pliskova.

“I won three matches. I think I played well here, made it to the quarters and defeated Venus, who had not lost [in Dubai] in 16 matches. So I will move with confidence to the next tournament [in Doha]. I am happy about my performance and I will keep working on myself and looking forward to playing in Doha.”