Angelique Kerber made it 15 wins from 17 matches in 2018 as she brushed aside Karolina Pliskova in the quarterfinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships.
The German won 6-4 6-3 in 75 minutes, with Pliskova unable to force a single break point.
“It’s great to being back in the top 10, playing good tennis again. But for me right now, my goal is improving my game, enjoying my tennis, just trying to continue how I start the year,” Kerber told Sport360.
“Especially after (a forgettable season) last year where I was sitting home, I told myself, ‘Okay, this is not the end. I know I am a fighter. I will come back and I will go through all the tough preseason, fighting back. This is how I am’.
Kerber joins Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki on a WTA Tour-leading 15 victories this year, and she will next face defending champion Elina Svitolina.
Top seed Svitolina beat Japan’s Naomi Osaka 6-2 6-4.
> GALLERY: Six of the best from AO2018
Second seed Garbine Muguruza returned to action less than 24 hours after her late-night win over CiCi Bellis, and the Wimbledon champion impressed again in a 7-5 6-2 victory over Caroline Garcia.
“It’s tough,” Muguruza said of the schedule.
“I was thinking about going straight to breakfast after I finished last night’s match. But these things happen, and I need to be prepared, so I felt good today.”
Muguruza will play Daria Kasatkina in the semifinals after the Russian beat her compatriot Elena Vesnina 7-6(5) 6-1.
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