Svitolina joins Henin, Venus as back-to-back Dubai winner

Elina Svitolina joined former world number ones Justine Henin and Venus Williams as a back-to-back Dubai title winner yesterday with a 6-4, 6-0 cruise past Russia’s Daria Kasatkina. Svitolina, the world number four, won her 11th career title after a 70-minute rout of Kasatkina.
“When they announced our names, they saying that Justine and Venus are the only ones who defended their titles, I was like, ‘Okay, c’mon, you have to do this.’ It really motivated me,” said the Ukrainian. The 20-year-old Kasatkina came into the match after playing for more than nine hours in previous rounds this week, saving five match points over two matches.
“I was pleased with how I played here this week,” said Svitolina. “I expected the unexpected. I’m happy with how I handled the pressure, I was very happy with my performance.” Svitolina beat Kasatkina for the third time in as many meetings. Kasatkina is guaranteed a move to a career-best 20th.

Dimitrov becomes top seed as Federer skips Dubai
With the withdrawal of Roger Federer, Grigor Dimitrov will be thrust into the favourite’s role when the Dubai Championships start today. The Bulgarian is ranked No. 4 in the world and won the season-ending ATP Finals in November, but he lost to Federer in the Rotterdam final a week ago, at the end of a tournament in which the 36-year-old Swiss regained the No 1 ranking.
Tournament officials waited hopefully all week for Federer, but he finally decided to skip the event.
He informed organisers that he would head to the US next week to begin preparation for title defences at the Masters 1000 events in Indian Wells and Miami. The 20-time Grand Slam winner did offer to make himself available for Dubai in 2019.
Dimitrov takes over the top seeding at the Aviation Club. Frenchman Lucas Pouille, based in the emirate, is seeded second, ahead of Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut, Damir Dzumhur and Frenchman Richard Gasquet (fifth). Dimitrov has had a week to heal after playing Rotterdam while ill. Dimitrov opens with a tricky test against Tunisian wild card Malek Jaziri, with Pouille facing a qualifier. North African Jaziri was a quarter-finalist here in 2014 and in 2016 beat two-time finalist Mikhail Youzhny. He also took a set off Federer in the first round in 2013.

Shapovalov reaches Delray Beach semi-finals
Canadian teenager Denis Shapovalov beat Taylor Fritz 7-5, 6-4 on Friday, but had to wait to find out who he’ll face in the semi-finals of the ATP Delray Beach Open. Shapovalov, ranked 46th in the world, is vying to become the first 18-year-old since Japan’s Kei Nishikori at Delray Beach in 2000 to win an ATP Tour title.
He’ll face either eighth-seeded Chung Hyeon of South Korea or US wildcard Frances Tiafoe for a place in the final. But first, Tiafoe and surprise Australian Open semi-finalist Chung will have to complete their rain-disrupted contest, which was halted with Tiafoe leading 5-7, 6-4, 5-3. Organizers waited several hours to try to get the contest completed, finally calling off play for the day after midnight.
The two were scheduled to return on yesterday afternoon to complete their match, which will be followed by the first semi-final between Germany’s Peter Gojowczyk and American Steve Johnson, a 6-1, 6-4 winner over Russian Evgeny Donskoy. Shapovalov and either Tiafoe or Chung were then to meet last night.
In the other half of the draw, Gojowczyk defeated Reilly Opelka 7-6 (7/5), 6-3. Gojowczyk’s victory followed his three-set triumph over sixth-seeded American John Isner, while Opelka was coming off an upset of Sock.

Bouchard reaches settlement with USTA
Eugenie Bouchard reached a settlement with the US Tennis Association on Friday to end her lawsuit over a locker room fall at the 2015 US Open Tennis Championships. The terms of the settlement were confidential.
The resolution came a day after a jury in US federal court in Brooklyn found the USTA 75% liable for the fall, which left Bouchard with a concussion. The 23-year-old Canadian, once ranked as high as fifth in the world, had sought unspecified damages in the suit, claiming the USTA was at fault for applying a slippery cleaning product to the floor of a physiotherapy room where she fell after playing a late mixed doubles match.
The USTA had argued that Bouchard should have known the darkened room was being cleaned at 11pm. The jury had assessed Bouchard’s contributory negligence at 25%. As the damages phase of the trial began on Friday, lawyers for both sides had argued before the jury about the appropriate amount. Shortly before 3pm Judge called the jury in and said the parties had “agreed to resolve the case”. “It’s been two and a half years, so I’m happy it’s over,” Bouchard said. “I feel vindicated that I got the verdict yesterday.”
Bouchard shot to stardom when she reached the 2014 Wimbledon final, but is currently ranked 116th in the world.