Abu Dhabi, UAE – February 6, 2026 – American tennis sensation Hailey Baptiste showcased her resilience and skill as she advanced to the semifinals of the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open, defeating Russia’s fifth seed Liudmila Samsonova in a thrilling three-set clash.

Baptiste Overcomes Samsonova in Tough Quarterfinal

Baptiste claimed a 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 victory over Samsonova on the indoor hard courts, proving her dominance with four aces while Samsonova failed to land any. The match marked the only three-set encounter of the day, highlighting Baptiste’s mental toughness and competitive edge.

Her next opponent will be Ekaterina Alexandrova, the tournament’s second seed, who convincingly defeated the Philippines’ Alexandra Eala 6-3, 6-3. Fans are eagerly anticipating this high-stakes semifinal matchup.

Other Semifinalists in Abu Dhabi

Czech player Sara Bejlek displayed a masterclass performance against the UK’s Sonay Kartal, winning 6-0, 6-2 in just 63 minutes. Denmark’s third seed Clara Tauson overcame American McCartney Kessler 6-3, 6-4. The duo will face off in the other Abu Dhabi semifinal, promising more exciting tennis action.

Ostrava Open Semifinals Shake-Up

Meanwhile, in the Ostrava Open in the Czech Republic, the quarterfinals saw all seeded players exit. Germany’s Tamara Korpatsch stunned sixth seed Caty McNally 6-4, 6-2 and will meet France’s Diane Parry, who cruised past Nikola Bartunkova 6-1, 6-3.

The other semifinal will feature Great Britain’s Katie Boulter against American Katie Volynets. Boulter defeated Linda Fruhvirtova 6-3, 6-2, while Volynets mounted a comeback win against Alycia Parks 5-7, 6-4, 6-2.

Transylvania Open Quarterfinal Highlights

Top seed Emma Raducanu of Great Britain continued her flawless run at the Transylvania Open in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, defeating Poland’s Maja Chwalinska 6-0, 6-4. Raducanu will face Ukraine’s Oleksandra Oliynykova, who upset fourth seed Xinyu Wang of China 6-4, 6-4.

Additionally, Sorana Cirstea, the third seed, saved five out of seven break points to overcome Austria’s Anastasia Potapova and will face Ukrainian Daria Snigur, who defeated China’s Yue Yuan 4-6, 6-0, 7-5 in a tense battle.

Tennis Fans Await Semifinal Showdowns

As the semifinals approach across Abu Dhabi, Ostrava, and Transylvania, tennis fans are eager to see whether rising stars like Hailey Baptiste and Emma Raducanu can maintain their impressive form or if underdogs will seize the moment.