<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-02-21/Chinese-players-make-women-s-doubles-semifinals-at-Dubai-Championships-1BaFu8adRtK/img/60dc994157484a4b8f13f8ec9d8f2770/60dc994157484a4b8f13f8ec9d8f2770.png' alt='Zhang Shuai (L) of China and Kristina Mladenovic of France discuss strategy during their women's doubles quarterfinal match against Fanny Stollar of Hungary and Alexandra Panova of Russia at the Dubai Tennis Championships in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, February 20, 2025. /WTA'
China’s Zhang Shuai and France’s Kristina Mladenovic, and the Chinese duo of Xu Yifan and Yang Zhaoxuan, advanced to the women’s doubles semifinals at the Dubai Tennis Championships in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Thursday.
Zhang and Mladenovic faced Fanny Stollar of Hungary and Alexandra Panova of Russia in a revenge match, after suffering a head-to-head loss last week in Doha. The Chinese and French pair built a quick lead of 5-1 in the first set. Although Stollar and Panova held serve in the seventh game, they only extended the set by one more game, before coming up short and falling behind in the match.
After breaking their opponents twice in the first set, Zhang and Mladenovic remained in remarkable form, and converted two more breaks in the second set. Stollar and Panova put up a little more resistance, but the Chinese and French duo clinched the set 6-4 to sweep into the semifinals, where they will face Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic and Taylor Townsend of the USA.
Xu and Yang survived a fierce match against Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan and Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic in three sets. The Chinese pair claimed the first set 6-4, but their opposite numbers replied by taking the second set 6-3, sending the match into a third and deciding set.
Both sides played with resilience in the decider, which needed a super tiebreak to resolve. In the end, Xu and Yang outplayed their Kazakh and Czech opponents 10-8 to wrap up the match. They will face Jeļena Ostapenko of Latvia and Hsieh Su-wei of Chinese Taipei in the semifinals.