Dubai: Seventh seed Elina Svitolina delayed World No 2 Angelique Kerber’s plans at scaling her way back to the top of women’s tennis with a gutsy 6-3, 7-6 (3) win the semi-finals of the Dubai Duty Free Women’s Open here late on Friday.

The seventh seed from Ukraine will now meet tenth seed and another former world number one Caroline Wozniacki in the final at 7 pm on Saturday. The two have met just once so far – in Miami last year – with Svitolina winning against the Dane.

“Yes, it was quite late in the night in Miami and I was glad I got through that one. But tomorrow is a different day and I hope to give off my best,” Svitolina promised.

With only an outright win in Saturday’s final sufficing her surge back as World No.1 ahead of Serena Williams, Kerber – with her knee strapped - could do very little in halting the Ukrainian’s maiden march into a Dubai final after just three visits here.

Incidentally, this was Svitolina’s third straight win over the German with their career record now standing tied at 5-5 after ten meetings so far. Last year, Svitolina had fallen to eventual champion Sara Errani in the semi-finals.

“It was really tough out there tonight,” Svitolina said after an hour and 40 minutes on centre court.

“It was quite a tricky match and the medical time-out didn’t help as well. My aim tonight was just hitting the ball and stay positive,” the seventh seed added.

Svitolina broke in the third for a 2-1 lead, only to see the German break back in the sixth for 3-3. The 22-year-old Ukrainian broke a second time in the seventh for 4-3 and held for 5-3 to come up with a third and final break and take the set 6-3.

In the second, after an early exchange of breaks, and the score 3-2 in favour of the younger player, Kerber took a medical time-out. That break – not to mention the several rain halts through the evening - didn’t seem to help the German top seed as Svitolina broke her on love to nose ahead 4-2 and then held for 5-2.

But Kerber, who had come with a new strap around her right knee, suddenly came alive and took the next four games with breaks in the ninth and eleventh games to go clear 6-5. However, Svitolina broke back to make it 6-6 and force the tie-breaker that Svitolina dominated and won 7-3.

Earlier in the day, former champion and tenth seed Wozniacki made her second final in Dubai when she swept aside Latvia’s Anastasija Sevastova 6-3, 6-4. A champion here in 2011, Wozniacki – who was the losing finalist to Karolina Pliskova in Doha last week – was always in control in her less than one and a half hour spent on court against her unseeded opponent.

Making her seventh appearance in Dubai, Wozniacki became the most successful player in the 17-year history of this annual tournament with two finals and four appearances in the semi-finals between 2012 and 2015.

RESULTS

Women’s singles semi-finals

Caroline Wozniacki bt Anastasija Sevastova 6-3, 6-4

Elina Svitolina bt Angelique Kerber 6-3, 7-6 (3).

Order of Play on Saturday

Singles final: (Start at 7pm) Elina Svitolina vs Caroline Wozniacki