Svitolina successfully defends Dubai title

Elina Svitolina successfully defended her Dubai Duty Free Championship (last year Premier 5 category and this year recategorised to Premier) by defeating Daria Kasatkina easily 6-4 6-0 in a final which saw the young Russian tire badly, due probably to the hard grind required to come back and win terrifically against both Johanna Konta and Garbine Muguruza.

Svitolina has now made 13 WTA finals and has won 11.

Her first five wins came at International level, but impressively Elina has in her last six successes claimed 3 at Premier 5 level (all in 2017) and two at Premier level (both this year).

Outstanding statistics but at Grand Slam level Svitolina has yet to make a statement.

Until this years quarter final appearance at the Australian Open, she had made only two quarter finals (both at Roland Garros) and three fourth rounds (1 each at Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open).

In all other majors competed, no better than the last 32.

For a player once ranked as high as three in the world (currently four) Elina needs to prove herself at the biggest tournaments, and 2018 gives her a real chance.

The players above her have, between them, won three majors, been finalists on six other occasions, and semi finalists also on six occasions.

I’m sure Elina will break through those barriers and maybe it will be at Roland Garros this year.

Rio de Janeiro:

Semi finals

Diego Schwartzman (6) defeated Nicolas Jarry 7-5 6-2

Fernando Verdasco (8) defeated Fabio Fognini (5) 6-1 7-5

Marseille:

Semi finals:

Karen Khachanov (9) defeated Tomas Berdych (4) 6-3 6-2

Lucas Pouille (3) defeated qualifier Ilya Ivashka 6-3 7-6(6)

Delray Beach:

Quarter final to be completed:

Wildcard Frances Tiafoe defeated Hyeon Chung (8) 5-7 6-4 6-4

Semi finals:

Peter Gojowczyk defeated Steve Johnson 7-6(3) 6-3

Wildcard Frances Tiafoe defeated Denis Shapovalov 7-5 6-4

Unseeded final

Budapest:

Semi finals:

Dominika Cibulková (1) defeated Mona Barthel 6-3 6-2

Alison Van Uytvanck defeated lucky loser in qualifying Viktoria Kuzmova 6-4 6-2