Svitolina joins WTA elite with Dubai triumph
DUBAI: Elina Svitolina will join the WTA top 10 for the first time thanks to a 6-4, 6-2 defeat of Caroline Wozniacki on Saturday to win the Dubai Tennis Championships.
“It’s just an amazing feeling, to enter the top 10 — especially by winning such a tournament. I’m very excited for the season,” Svitolina said.
The Ukrainian, who will move to 10th on Monday, won her second title of 2017 after Taipei a month ago and beat 2011 champion Wozniacki for the second time without a loss.
“This (is) very very special for me. I played some amazing tennis this week,” Svitolina said. “This is my first trophy at such a big event.
“It was tough to play Caroline, she puts up such a fight and never stands back. I’m very proud of how I played today.”
The match was delayed for two hours by light rain, with the opening set requiring almost an hour.
Svitolina broke for a 5-2 lead in the second set and lifted the sixth trophy of her career on a third match point as she landed a screaming down-the-line winner on the corner.
Wozniacki was playing her second final in as many weeks after going down in Doha a week ago to Karolina Pliskova.
“It’s been a good two weeks for me, playing two finals,” Wozniacki said. “This is a good sign for the rest of the season.”