Former World No.8 Karolina Muchova booked her spot in the semifinals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Thursday, defeating Sorana Cirstea in an entertaining clash on Center Court.

The Czech star battled past her Romanian opponent, scoring a 6-2 7-5 victory during their quarterfinal bout. Although Muchova dominated the opening set, Cirstea fought back in the second set, eventually falling just shy of forcing a tiebreak.

Muchova achieves a new milestone in Dubai

The 28-year old tennis star has been on a hot streak when reaching the final eight of a tournament. Following her latest win over Cirstea, Muchova has won her last 10 quarterfinal matches played, including at the United Cup earlier this year.

Muchova’s last loss at the quarterfinal stage came at Indian Wells in 2023, when she lost to former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina. Ever since that defeat, the 2023 Roland Garros runner-up has won her quarterfinal matches at the following events.

2023 – Roland Garros, Cincinnati Open, US Open
2024 – Palermo, US Open, Beijing, Ningbo
2025 – Linz, United Cup, Dubai

Muchova will be hoping to win the biggest title of her career at the ongoing Dubai Duty Free Championships. The Czech star is scheduled to face surprise semifinalist Clara Tauson in the final four, after the Danish player defeated the likes of Elina Svitolina and World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka en route to the semifinals.