Croatian lucky loser Antonia Ruzic reached her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships when top seed Elena Rybakina retired due to gastrointestinal issues. The 23-year-old, ranked No. 67, had already defeated Emma Raducanu and Anastasia Zakharova in three-set matches. Ruzic will next face seventh seed Elina Svitolina.
Antonia Ruzic's path to the quarterfinals began with a setback in qualifying. On Friday the 13th, she lost to Rebecca Sramkova 5-7, 7-5, 6-1 after leading 7-5, 5-4 and holding six match points. Despite the defeat, Ruzic remained in Dubai as a doubles alternate with Petra Marcinko. Withdrawals from the main draw, including Elisabetta Cocciaretto due to a right thigh injury, elevated her to the sixth lucky loser spot.
In the main draw, Ruzic secured her first Top 30 win over Emma Raducanu 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 in the first round, recovering from a 2-0 deficit in the third set. She followed with a 6-1, 6-7(2), 6-1 victory over fellow lucky loser Anastasia Zakharova to reach the third round.
Facing No. 1 seed Elena Rybakina, the Australian Open champion, Ruzic lost the first set 5-7 but won the second 6-4. She broke serve in the opening game of the third set, leading 1-0, when Rybakina retired due to gastrointestinal issues and fatigue. "It was just a heavy head, I didn’t sleep well from yesterday," Rybakina told the tournament doctor. "I’m going to stop."
Ruzic expressed surprise at the retirement. "I was surprised because I didn’t notice any signs that she wasn’t feeling well," she said. "It’s obviously not the way you want to win but I’m happy that I’m through."
This marks Ruzic's first win over a Top 20 opponent and matches the best result by a lucky loser at a WTA 1000 event. She credits her mindset as a lucky loser for reducing pressure. "As a lucky loser, you don't have pressure that much -- you get a second chance," Ruzic said. "You just play, you want to show better than you played yesterday."
The tournament has seen high attrition, with 53 percent of the field withdrawing or retiring, including top players like Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek. In response, the WTA announced a Tour Architecture Council led by Jessica Pegula to reform the schedule by 2027.
Ruzic, who chose tennis over karate where she was a two-time national champion, will face Elina Svitolina, who defeated Belinda Bencic 4-6, 6-1, 6-3. This will be their first tour meeting.