Anisimova dethrones defending champ Andreeva; to meet Pegula in Dubai semis

No. 2 seed Amanda Anisimova ended No. 5 seed Mirra Andreeva's Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships title defense 2-6, 7-5, 7-6(4) in a quarterfinal thriller, holding off a late charge from 5-3 down in the third set by the 18-year-old to convert her fourth match point after 2 hours and 38 minutes.

Anisimova will face No. 4 seed Jessica Pegula in an all-American semifinal, a reprise of last month's Australian Open quarterfinal tilt. Pegula edged No. 12 seed and last year's runner-up Clara Tauson 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 to reach her seventh consecutive semifinal on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz, a streak that stretches back to last year's US Open.

Dubai: Scores |  Draws | Order of play 

"I was almost in tears there at the end," Anisimova said in her on-court interview. She wasn't the only one; after Andreeva's final backhand went long, the 18-year-old bent double with the emotion.

"It was such a tough battle, and I thought we played incredible tennis," Anisimova continued. "Seeing Mirra down like that, it's understandable. We both fought so hard today, and it made me emotional seeing her like that. She was playing so well, she's the defending champion and I feel like we both won on the court today. These type of matches, it's always tough that someone has to lose at the end of the day."

Anisimova's victory was her first Top 10 win of 2026, and marks the first time she has reached a semifinal since the 2025 WTA Finals Riyadh. It was also the second time she has downed Andreeva in a nailbiter in as many meetings. Last year, she ended Andreeva's 13-match winning streak 7-6(5), 2-6, 6-3 in the Miami third round.

Pegula and Anisimova will both be bidding to reach the Dubai final for the first time. Pegula has dominated their head-to-head so far with a perfect 4-0 record, including a 6-2, 7-6(1) win in Melbourne last month.

More to come...