Dubai: The quarter-final line-up for the Dubai Duty Free Women’s Open was set with the Williams sisters very much in the hunt for a possible climax meeting in the final on Saturday.
The last eight stages features three former champions led by two-time winner Venus Williams preparing to stop qualifier Flavia Pennetta’s run this week and 2011 winner Wozniacki facing Romanian Sorana Cirstea.
Defending champion Petra Kvitova was dumped by Carla Suarez Navarro with the Spaniard winning 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (4) to set up a meeting with Frenchwoman Alize Cornet – a deserving 6-3, 6-4 winner over Belgian Kirsten Flipkens.
Serena Williams, meanwhile, will continue her pursuit for a maiden Dubai crown facing Jelena Jankovic.
Serena had booked her spot in the quarter-finals on Tuesday night with a hard-fought 7-6 (8), 6-0 win over Ekaterina Makarova.
Venus' comeback
But it was Venus who was deservingly the toast of the third day’s play as she brushed off Ivanovic 6-2, 6-1 with complete disdain, avenging her loss in the Auckland final to the Serb last month.
Pennetta had been equally dominant in her 6-4, 6-1 win over second seed Agnieszka Radwanska, while Jankovic dug in deep for a 7-5, 6-4 win over Lucie Safarova and Wozniacki had cruised through 6-4, 6-4 against qualifier Annika Beck.
In the last round two match of the evening, defending champion and third seed – a losing finalist in Qatar last weekend – huffed her way but could do nothing to stop her gutsy Spanish opponent from winning in the third set tie-breaker.
A two-time successive winner here in 2009 and 2010, Venus was always in control on breezy early evening centre court conditions as she finished off the Serb in less than one hour. “The good part of my game is that I am playing consistently. Besides that I am working on several aspects of my game while I work on making my way back,” Venus said.
Quarter-finals games (Thursday)
(2 pm)
Venus Williams vs Flavia Pennetta
Caroline Wozniacki vs Sorana Cirstea
(7 pm)
Serena Williams vs Jelena Jankovic
Carla Suarez Navarro vs Alize Cornet
