Sabalenka stunned by Krejcikova in Dubai quarter-finals for first defeat of 2023

Aryna Sabalenka suffered her first defeat of the season on Thursday after Barbora Krejcikova staged a remarkable comeback to book her place in the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships semi-finals.

Sabalenka, on a 13-match winning run which took in her first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, looked on course for another dominant victory when she swept into a one-set lead. But Krejcikova fought back from 1-3 down in the second set to level in a tiebreak before racing away with the decider for a superb 0-6, 7-6, 6-1 victory in four minutes shy of two hours.

It was a performance reminiscent of the form that guided the Czech to the French Open title in 2021 and up to a career-high No 2 in the world rankings just 12 months ago.

While injury setbacks have seen Krejcikova drop down the rankings to her current position of 30th, she has continued to dominate alongside compatriot Katerina Siniakova on the doubles circuit, and her run in Dubai suggests a return towards the top of the singles game is very much on the cards.

"I was just fighting," Krejcikova, 27, said. "There's not really much you can change because she plays well, she serves well, she hits really hard. I was just trying to get to her pace, just try to be a little more aggressive because otherwise, it's difficult to do something else."

Krejcikova will face Jessica Pegula for a place in the final after the American third seed was handed a walkover by quarter-final opponent Karolina Muchova, and the Czech is aiming for "revenge" having lost their most recent meeting at the Australian Open.

"I played her couple weeks ago. I'm looking forward for the revenge because in Australia I lost to her," she said. "I definitely want to just go there again and just enjoy the