Rybakina Saves Six Match Points to Defeat Badosa in Dubai

By Tennis Majors

In a thrilling encounter at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, Elena Rybakina saved six match points to overcome Paula Badosa with a scoreline of 4-6, 7-6 (8), 7-6 (2). The match, lasting nearly three hours, saw Rybakina display remarkable resilience to secure her spot in the quarter-finals.

Badosa, the No. 9 seed, had multiple opportunities to close out the match, including four match points in the second-set tiebreak and two more in the third set. However, Rybakina, seeded sixth, held her nerve to fend off each threat and ultimately prevailed in consecutive tiebreaks.

With this victory, Rybakina advances to face American wildcard Sofia Kenin in the quarter-finals. Kenin secured her spot by defeating defending champion Jasmine Paolini 6-4, 6-0 in her Round of 16 match.