Jessica Pegula defeated rising star Iva Jovic 6-4 6-2 in an all-American battle to reach the Dubai quarterfinal, while defending champion Mirra Andreeva also progressed to the last-8 stage after beating Jaqueline Cristian 7-5 6-3.
Pegula, seeded at No. 4, saved a break point early before breaking 16th-seeded Jovic in the seventh game and serving her way to the first set.
With a five-game winning run at the start of the second set, the 31-year-old routinely closed out the 18-year-old teenage sensation in two sets.
It was the first meeting between the two.
For a place in the Dubai semifinal, Pegula will take on No. 12 seed Clara Tauson, who defeated Magda Linette. That will mark the first meeting between the American and the Dane.
Andreeva joins Pegula in the Dubai winner's column
Defending champion Andreeva found herself playing a very turbulent first set against 39th-ranked Cristian. Believe it or not, the Russian three times blew a break in the opener. However, the No. 5 seed avoided a potential disaster after earning another break in the 11th game and serving out the first set in the following game.
After surviving a turbulent first set, Andreeva also blew an early break in the second set as Cristian led 3-2 after the opening five games. The Russian then finally found some consistency and responded by taking the next four games to get the job done in two sets.
By beating Cristian, the 18-year-old Russian achieved a notable feat by registering 40+ WTA 1000 wins before turning 19.
40 – Mirra Andreeva is the fifth player to claim 40+ Tier I / WTA-1000 wins before turning 19 since the format’s introduction in 1990. Symphony.#DDFTennis | @DDFTennis @WTA pic.twitter.com/Pvf8CE2J5H
— OptaAce (@OptaAce) February 18, 2026
Andreeva meets No. 2 seed Amanda Anisimova in the Dubai quarterfinal.
