"Coco Gauff wins Dubai Tennis Championships, defeating Karolina Pliskova, Iga Swiatek & Zheng Qinwen also victorious"

US Open champion Coco Gauff says a row with the umpire "fuelled" her as she beat in-form Karolina Pliskova.

Coco Gauff, the US Open champion, revealed that a dispute with the umpire served as motivation as she defeated Karolina Pliskova to advance to the quarter-finals of the Dubai tournament. Gauff expressed her dissatisfaction when her serve was called out after Pliskova missed a return and engaged in a lengthy discussion with the umpire, Pierre Bacchi, when instructed to replay the point. Despite this setback, the 19-year-old American managed to overcome the second-set exchange and staged a comeback to win the match 2-6 6-4 6-3.

Reflecting on the incident, Gauff stated that it acted as a turning point in the match, propelling her to perform at a higher level. She emphasized the importance of remaining calm and focused on the next point, acknowledging that she may have prolonged the discussion but believed it was the best decision at the time. Gauff credited the dispute with fueling her determination to succeed.

In other third-round matches on Wednesday, world number one Iga Swiatek continued her impressive performance in the Middle East by defeating Elina Svitolina. The Polish player, who recently claimed the Doha title, secured a 6-1 6-4 victory over Svitolina and is set to face Zheng Qinwen in the quarter-finals.

Meanwhile, Anna Kalinskaya, who reached the quarter-finals of the Melbourne Park tournament last month, secured a surprise win over Jelena Ostapenko and will now face Gauff in the quarter-finals. In the other half of the draw, former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina emerged victorious in a tough match against Magdalena Frech and is set to play Jasmine Paolini in the quarter-finals. Reigning Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova also advanced to the quarter-finals and is scheduled to face Sorana Cirstea.

Overall, the Dubai tournament has seen intense competition and remarkable performances from the players, setting the stage for exciting matches in the upcoming rounds.

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