Tennis: Svitolina gatecrashes top 10 after Dubai title

DUBAI (Reuters) – Seventh seed Elina Svitolina overpowered former world number one Caroline Wozniacki 6-4 6-2 to claim the Dubai Open on Saturday, the sixth, and biggest, title of her career.

Ukrainian Svitolina, who stopped Angelique Kerber from returning to the top of the rankings by beating the German in Friday’s semi-finals, triumphed in one hour 28 minutes.

Svitolina converted one of her four break points against the Dane, winner in 2011, in the opening set to move ahead and dominated thereafter.

The 22-year-old, who dropped only one set throughout the week, will move into the WTA’s top 10 for the first time after starting the week ranked 13th.

“I dreamed all my life to be in the top 10, so it’s an amazing feeling to enter the top 10 by winning the tournament,” she said in a court-side interview. “I am very excited for the season.

“I played some amazing tennis this week. It’s a first trophy for me in such a big tournament.”

Tenth seed Wozniacki had been hoping to become only the third player to win multiple titles in Dubai, joining Justine Henin and Venus Williams who won the title four and three times respectively.

Instead, for the second week running she fell at the final hurdle, having lost to Karolina Pliskova in Doha last week, as she continues her comeback after an injury-hit 2016.

“It has been a good two weeks — two finals, lots of matches. I’m already excited to be back,” said Wozniacki.

(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Neville Dalton/Andrew Both)