DUBAI: Sara Errani reached her second final at the Dubai Tennis Championships on Friday as she defeated Ukrainian Elina Svitolina 6-4, 6-4.
The Dubai event, now holding an unenviable WTA record after all eight seeds lost in the first two rounds, is struggling through, with Errani to face the winner from Czech Barbora Strycova and Caroline Garcia of France in the final.
Errani, ranked 22nd, took almost two hours to hold off her 21st-ranked opponent, finishing with 31 unforced errors and just a dozen winners under a hot desert sun.
The Italian will be playing in her 19th career final and bidding for her ninth singles title. She holds leads against both potential opponents, standing 4-2 against Garcia and 5-1 over Strycova.
Errani took five of 14 break point opportunities, while losing her own serve three times.
“It was really tough today, it was hot,” she said. “Most of the games were very long with a lot of points.
“I just tried to play focused on every one. I’m really excited to play another final, it’s amazing.”
Errani finished runner-up in 2013 to Petra Kvitova at the Aviation Club.
Del Potro into Delray Beach quarters
Injury-nagged 2009 US Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro advanced Thursday to the quarter-finals of the ATP Delray Beach Open by defeating Australian qualifier John-Patrick Smith 6-4, 6-4.
In only the second match of his comeback after sitting out for nearly a year, the 27-year-old Argentine wildcard entrant booked a last-eight date with French fifth seed Jeremy Chardy, who ousted American wildcard Noah Rubin 6-4, 6-2 in another second-round match.
Del Potro and Chardy, ranked 30th, have split two career meetings. Del Potro won a 2012 Cincinnati quarterfinal but the Frenchman took a five-set triumph in the third round of the 2013 Australian Open.
US wildcard Tim Smyczek rallied to upset US seventh seed Donald Young 1-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-2, setting up a quarter-final matchup against another compatriot, Sam Querrey.
Querrey went down a break early in each set but fought back both times for a 6-4, 6-3 triumph over American left-hander Austin Krajicek.
Friday’s other quarterfinals will see French eighth seed Adrian Mannarino face Bulgarian fourth seed Grigor Dimitrov while American Rajeev Ram plays Germany’s Benjamin Becker.
Nadal, Ferrer through
Even the King of Clay Rafael Nadal needs victories to boost his confidence, which has waned recently as his dominance has slipped on the slippery red surface.
“Winning is the important thing, which gives you confidence and lets you relax,” Nadal said after joining fellow Spaniard David Ferrer in the quarterfinals of the Rio Open, the third clay-court tournament in the month-long swing around Latin America.
Nadal and Ferrer — the top two seeded players — both beat countrymen on Thursday to reach the last eight. Nadal beat Nicolas Almagro 6-3, 7-5 and Ferrer defeated Albert Ramos-Vinolas 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.
Nadal has won 14 of 15 matches against Almagro.
Nadal will face Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine, while Ferrer meets young Austrian Dominic Thiem in the last eight, a matchup of one of the most consistent players on clay against a 22-year-old viewed as a star of the next generation.
In other key men’s matches in the combined ATP-WTA event, Federico Delbonis defeated Paolo Lorenzio 6-3, 6-0 and Dolgopolov won over Inigo Cervantes 3-6, 6-0, 6-3.
On the women’s side, second-seeded Johanna Larsson was upset 6-4, 6-4 by Brazilian qualifier Paula Goncalves. No. 3 Danka Kovinic defeated Silvia Soler-Espinosa 6-2, 6-3 and No. 6 Lara Arruabarrena beat Ana Bogdan 7-5, 5-7, 6-3.
Kyrgios, Cilic into Marseille semis
Croatia’s Marin Cilic reached his first semifinal of the season beating Andrey Kuznetsov 6-3, 6-4 at the ATP Marseille Open on Friday as Australian Nick Kyrgios whipped home hope Richard Gasquet 6-0, 6-4.
Cilic wrapped up the tie in 66 minutes, spoiling 24-year-old Russian Kuznetsov’s bid for a first ATP World Tour semifinal appearance having now lost all seven quarterfinals he has competed in.
Cilic, 27, is looking to reach the Marseille final for the second time, having finished runner-up in 2011.
He next faces either top seed Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland or Frenchman Benoit Paire who play later.
