Top 5 Photos, 3/12: Krejcikova furthers Dubai singles dream

A day after big names crashed out in close contests, Friday's action didn't offer up nearly as much drama. Here are the Top 5 photos from Dubai, Doha and Marseille.

These are the Top 5 photos from Friday:

1

Barbora Krejcikova

She owns a combined five major titles across women's and mixed doubles, but over the last 12 months, Krejcikova has proven her singles game can hang, too. Last year, she reached the round of 16 at Roland Garros, and now, the Czech is into her biggest WTA final—and first since May 2017. The 63rd-ranked Krejcikova, who hasn't dropped a set en route, eased past Jil Teichmann, 7-5, 6-2, and can crack the Top 30 if she caps her week by taking down No. 9 seed Garbine Muguruza at the 1000-level event in Dubai.

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2

Roberto Bautista Agut

A day after ousting top seed Dominic Thiem, Bautista Agut backed up his three-set victory over the world No. 4 by adding another Top 10 scalp in Doha against eighth-ranked Andrey Rublev. The Spaniard prevailed, 6-3, 6-3, and will look to lift his second Qatar ExxonMobil Open trophy in three years when he battles Nikoloz Basilashvili Saturday. RBA leads their head-to-head series 3-1, though Basilashvili won their lone hard-court contest at 2019 Dubai.

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3

Garbine Muguruza

Muguruza was forced to hold her nerve in her Dubai semifinal with Elise Mertens, as the Belgian refused to go away quietly. On her seventh match point, the former world No. 1 finally converted to edge the No. 10 seed, 6-4, 7-6 (5), reaching her second final in as many weeks and third overall this season. Muguruza is aiming to snap a three-match losing streak in title matches, holding a 7-7 record overall.

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4

Daniil Medvedev

In Marseille, the No. 1 seed was unfazed in his Open 13 clash with No. 5 seed Jannik Sinner. The world No. 3 needed three sets to defeat the Italian at this event a year ago, but that wasn't the case this time around, as he strolled into the final four with a 6-2, 6-4 win—matching his round two scoreline against Egor Gerasimov.

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5

Xu Yifan and Yang Zhaoxuan

On the Dubai doubles court, Xu and Yang advanced to the final with a 6-3, 7-5 victory over fifth seeds Timea Babos and Veronika Kudermetova. The Chinese duo, who've dropped just one set all week, can raise their first team trophy with a win versus the eighth-seeded pair of Alexa Guarachi and Darija Jurak.

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