Daniela Hantuchova and Caroline Wozniacki through to Dubai Duty Free Championships

7msports > Tennis Video > Daniela Hantuchova and Caroline Wozniacki through to Dubai Duty Free Championships

Thursday, February 23 2012 by SNTV

Intro:

Slovakia's Daniela Hantuchova, who cruised past China's Peng Shuai 7-5, 6-2 in an hour and 35 minutes - she'll meet Germany's unseeded Julia Gorges, who benefited from the withdrawal through injury of top seed Victoria Azarenka by beating her replacement, Australian lucky loser Casey Dellacqua 6-0, 6-2.

Defending champion and number three seed this year, Caroline Wozniacki, who was tested at times by Romania's Simona Malep, but came through comfortably enough, 6-2, 6-3.

Script:

With Victoria Azarenka withdrawing through injury early on Wednesday, the top half of the draw opened up for both Peng Shuai of China and Slovakia's Daniela Hantuchova.

The first set went with serve until Hantuchova made the decisive breakthrough at 6-5 on the Peng delivery.

Two more breaks of serve followed and after a hour and 35 minutes Hantuchova booked her place in the quarters with a 7-5, 6-2 victory.

Also through is defending champion Caroline Wozniacki after she successfully came through her first appearance in this year's competition.

Seeded three, she took on Romanian opponent Simona Halep, and broke serve in the sixth game and then again in the eighth to take the first set 6-2 in just 33 minutes.

The second set featured four breaks of serve in a row as Halep threatened to fight her way back into the match, but Wozniacki proved too good and after 71 minutes the 21 year-old Dane closed out an ultimately comfortable 6-2, 6-3 victory.

Wozniacki will meet Serbia's Ana Ivanovic for a place in the semis, in a battle between two former world number ones.