Svitolina defeated Gauff and prevented Dubai from becoming a US-only tournament, while Pegula earned the title of derby specialist.

Will this year's Dubai final become a US-exclusive showdown? When Svitolina wiped the sweat from her face with a smile, the answer was revealed.

After Svitolina, Gauff, Pegula, and Anisimova secured their spots in the Dubai 1000 semifinals, seeing the Ukrainian star face three American players alone, someone joked that she had fallen right into an American trap, leaving the question whether she could break free and stop Dubai 1000 from turning into a US-only tournament.

Some outsiders hoped to avoid an all-American final in Dubai, believing that having a disruptor made the match more interesting, humorously suggesting that it was also beneficial for the American players to avoid the brutal "intra-country rivalry" scenario.

Under such intense pressure, Svitolina’s mindset aligned with what many expected; from the first set, the Ukrainian seemed determined to prevent Dubai’s final from becoming a US-only affair by fiercely competing against Gauff.

When Gauff broke serve first, many feared Svitolina wouldn’t recover and would watch helplessly as the American took the opening set, becoming the player under the most pressure in the match.

Unexpectedly, Svitolina refused to give in; after breaking back, she launched a brilliant counterattack, ultimately securing a crucial break in the ninth game to win the first set 6-4, shifting the pressure onto Gauff instead.

The second set was the most gripping part of the match, with a back-and-forth battle of breaks between Svitolina and Gauff leading to a tiebreaker, which was widely regarded as a test of their iron wills.

They fought from 1-1 all the way to 13-13 in the tiebreak! Fans watching live were already exhausted, yet Svitolina and Gauff kept battling fiercely, refusing to yield despite near physical exhaustion.

At the critical moment, the younger and fitter Gauff prevailed, narrowly winning the marathon tiebreak 15-13.

Following this, concerns about Svitolina’s stamina began to flood in from the public.

Some bluntly pointed out that the Ukrainian, who had no age advantage, might not have enough energy left for the final set after such a grueling two sets; some even imagined a harsh scenario where the physically superior Gauff would easily defeat her in the decider.

However, the public’s prediction turned out to be wrong!

After the tough first two sets, Svitolina showed no signs of physical decline; from the start of the final set, she battled Gauff evenly, and after winning a nerve-wracking service game at 9th game with seven deuces, many believed Svitolina was likely to be the one smiling at the end.

Gauff’s missed opportunity in the ninth game clearly affected her, and during her crucial service game, she faltered, allowing Svitolina to seize the chance and close the final set 6-4, winning the three-hour marathon and sparking wild cheers from fans and viewers.

With Gauff’s exit, the hope for an all-American final in Dubai was officially dashed, as Svitolina successfully prevented the tournament from becoming a US-only event.

After the match, many praised the Ukrainian not only for returning to a 1000-level final after seven years but also for matching the ten-years-younger Gauff in endurance and tactical battle, earning widespread respect.

In the other women’s semifinal, the duel between American compatriots Pegula and Anisimova was equally intense.

Despite losing the first set easily, the wealthy American showed great resilience and late-match explosiveness to overturn Anisimova with 6-4, 6-3, reaching her eighth 1000-level final and setting up a clash with Svitolina.

Post-match statistics revealed an interesting fact: Pegula excels in matches against fellow Americans, earning her the nickname "derby expert."

Data shows Pegula’s derby record stands at 145 wins and 63 losses; Gauff at 44-21; Anisimova at 41-25; Keys at 96-46; Navarro at 71-34.

Moreover, since 2025, Pegula’s record in US derby matches is an impressive 17 wins and 2 losses, with the two defeats coming in the 2025 Adelaide final to Keys and the 2025 Wuhan final to Gauff.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moon River’s Starry Sky)