Elena Rybakina survived a thriller for a second consecutive day as the No. 1 seed edged out Ons Jabeur 6-2 4-6 7-6 (4) to progress into the Abu Dhabi semifinal.
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At the start of the match, it was all the Kazakh, who claimed breaks in the second and eighth games to routinely win the first set.
After easily losing the opener, the Tunisian bounced back by earning her first two breaks in the second set to open a comfortable 5-1 lead.
While Rybakina managed to get one break back, she couldn't complete her comeback as Jabeur served out for a decider in the 10th game.
Tied to one set apiece, the defending champion made the first move in the third set after registering a break in the sixth game for a 4-2 lead - but her lead was short-lived as the former world No. 2 instantly got the break back and ultimately managed to force a tie-break.
After Jabeur opened a 4-2 lead in the tie-break, she appeared to be heading toward completing a big comeback win.
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But then, Rybakina won five points in a row to overturn the deficit and book a semifinal ticket.
A day earlier, the No. 1 seed also needed three sets to beat qualifier Katie Volynets 2-6 6-4 6-4.
Rybakina plays next against Belinda Bencic
Next up for the Kazakh will be Swiss wildcard Bencic, who defeated Marketa Vondrousova in straight sets today.
For the 27-year-old Swiss, it will be her first WTA semifinal since becoming a mother and she already has 10 wins in 2025.
"I was really worried that the speed of the ball and the speed of how the girls are serving now, and returning and everything, would be maybe a bit too much, or a little bit too early for me," the former world No. 4 said in her on-court interview today.
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"But I'm also someone that plays fast, and I'm happy to see it's not such a big difference. The most I saw is that I have to work physically very hard."
Rybakina and Bencic split wins in their first two meetings, which came in 2021.
