WTA: Barthel reaches semi-final of Budapest – Kasatkina in Dubai final

Mona Barthel has reached the semi-finals at the WTA tournament in Budapest. With a 6-3,6-4 defeat of Belgian qualifier Ysaline Bonaventure, the 27-year-old from Neumünster can look forward to her first tournament win since May 2017 in Prague. On Saturday Barthel will now meet Dominika Cibulkova (Slovakia/No. 1) or Johanna Larsson (Sweden).

After 80 minutes Barthel was already there with the first match point. Against the number 154 in the world, you’ve got three breaks.

Before their successes in Budapest Barthel had only won one match this year. Sabine Lisicki (Berlin), Tatjana Maria (Bad Saulgau), Carina Witthöft (Hamburg) and Antonia Lottner (Düsseldorf) competed at the indoor tournament in the Hungarian capital, but failed in the last sixteen.

Meanwhile, Daria Kasatkina has reached the final of the WTA Premier Tournament in Dubai. The 20-year-old Russian won in the semi-final after defending three match balls 3:6,7:6 (11), 6:1 against Garbine Muguruza. After a dramatic second set that lasted 87 minutes, the former world number one no longer had much to contend with in the decision.

In the second semifinal (now live on DAZN) Angelique Kerber and defending champion Elina Svitolina meet.