Anisimova cruises into Dubai quarterfinals

Seeded No. 2 this week in the absence of Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek, the American received a first-round bye and advanced to the third round after Barbora Krejcikova withdrew, handing her a walkover, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.

In her first match of the tournament, Anisimova dominated early, breaking in the second and sixth games to comfortably secure the opening set. Although world No. 46 Tjen responded by claiming her first break and taking a 2-0 lead in the second set, the advantage proved brief. Anisimova quickly regained control, winning six of the next seven games to seal the straight-sets victory.

For a place in the semifinals, Anisimova will face either defending champion Mirra Andreeva or Jaqueline Cristian. Andreeva enters that matchup as the favorite.

Before this year, the 24-year-old had never advanced beyond the second round in Dubai. She now stands three wins away from capturing her first title in the United Arab Emirates.

Speaking ahead of the tournament, Anisimova said she feels less pressure compared to earlier in the season. “I feel like I’m actually feeling a lot less pressure and stress than when I compare it to Australia. I feel like I was able to reflect and kind of reset my goals, focus more on the process,” she said. “At the end of the day, that’s all I can really do.”