Ruzic Reaches Dubai Quarters as Rybakina Retires

Antonia Ruzic, a lucky loser, advanced to her first career WTA 1000 quarterfinal after top seed Elena Rybakina withdrew in the third set of their third-round match at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Wednesday. Ruzic will next face seventh seed Elina Svitolina of Ukraine for a spot in the semifinals.

Rybakina’s Unexpected Exit

Ruzic took an early lead in the first set before Rybakina – who won the Australian Open earlier this month — rallied to win it 7-5. The Croatian, ranked No. 67 on the WTA Tour, broke early again in the second set and held on to win it 6-4, forcing a deciding set.

After Ruzic broke Rybakina’s serve in the opening game of the third set, Rybakina called for the trainer and retired from the match due to gastrointestinal issues . It was Ruzic’s first win over a top-20 opponent and matched the best result by a lucky loser at a WTA 1000 event.

A Lucky Run for Ruzic

Ruzic defeated former U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu and Anastasia Zakharova, both in three sets, to reach the third round. Her journey to the quarterfinals was particularly remarkable, as she initially lost in the first round of qualifying, holding six match points against Rebeka Masarova, but entered the main draw as a lucky loser .

“It was actually a crazy story that I got in as a lucky loser because I lost the first round of qualification,” Ruzic told the media after her win. “I stayed here because of the doubles because we were first alternate and then they said like sign in because maybe you would get in. Sometimes you have to take the second chances. A lot of girls had amazing runs from the lucky losers because you get a second chance so you have nothing to lose anymore. You can just show your best tennis.”

Svitolina Advances

In a separate match, seventh seed Elina Svitolina came from a set down to defeat Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic 4-6, 6-1, 6-3. This was Svitolina’s fourth consecutive win over Bencic after losing their first two meetings .

“I think I missed some opportunities in the first set,” Svitolina said after her win. “Lost a little bit just the way that I wanted to play. I think she played well in the end of that first set. I knew what I had to execute and I was just trying to locate my game again. I think my serve was working really well in the second set. In the third set, the 5-1 lead helped me to find again my good game.”

This will be the first meeting between Ruzic and Svitolina on the tour.

WTA Tour Architecture Council Formed

The WTA has announced the formation of a “Tour Architecture Council” led by Jessica Pegula to overhaul the professional circuit by 2027 . This decision was triggered by a week of unprecedented attrition in Dubai, where over half of the original field failed to complete the tournament.