ABU DHABI: Thursday saw a landmark achieved at the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open as wheelchair tennis made its groundbreaking debut alongside a decisive quarterfinal sweep that saw Clara Tauson, Sara Bejlek, Ekaterina Alexandrova and Hailey Baptiste advance to the semifinals.
Tauson beat McCartney Kessler in an impressive performance, while Czech qualifier Bejlek dropped just two games to dispatch British No. 2 Sonay Kartal. Alexandrova, the highest seed remaining in the tournament, ended Alexandra Eala’s run in straight sets, before Baptiste overcame Liudmila Samsonova in three sets.
“McCartney played some good tennis, but I also played well,” said Tauson. “She was hitting some very good winners, but I kept my cool, kept fighting and that helped me a lot today. It’s great to be in the semifinals.”
In the doubles semifinal on ADCB Court 1, Eala and Janice Tjen delivered an impressive performance in front of packed crowds to defeat Cristina Bucşa and Shuai Zhang in straight sets.
“We were trying to be aggressive and have fun,” said Eala. “When you have a good relationship with your partner, you’re not afraid to go with your gut. If you make errors, it’s okay because you have that chemistry and you’re willing to try what feels right.”
