Karolina Pliskova weathers the storm to reach Dubai Tennis Championships final

Amid swirling sands and a capricious crosswind, Karolina Pliskova won an error-strewn semi-final at the Dubai Tennis Championships to edge Garbine Muguruza 6-4, 5-7, 7-5.

The 22-year-old Czech’s consistent if unadventurous performance from the baseline was enough to frustrate her aggressive Spanish opponent and book a place in today’s final at the Aviation Club.

Billed as a battle of the big servers, the two six-footers had entered the Aviation Club having already hit a combined total of 55 aces at this week’s US$2.5 million (Dh9.2m) ­tournament.

Yet with an early morning sandstorm forcing organisers to dispatch a team of volunteers to sweep centre court, the quality of serving was initially affected when the match started shortly after 5pm.

In the first game, Muguruza hit two consecutive double-faults to trail 30-0, before recovering with a pair of aces to hold.

The 21 year old, world No 24 had shown precision and power in earlier defeats of 12th seed Jelena Jankovic, world No 8 Agnieska Radwanska and Spanish No 1 Carla Suarez Navarro en route to her first Premier 5 semi-final. But her booming serve failed too often yesterday and her net play proved erratic.

“It was strange because in the air was this brown ... When I was touching my face, it was like sand,” Muguruza said.

“The court was a little bit slippery at the end, but the other [player] has the same problem so I cannot complain.

“It was a very good week. I won incredible matches. I’m now p----d because I lost this one, but I will play against her soon again, so let’s see.”

In the first set alone, Muguruza double-faulted nine times – two more than in the entire three sets of her quarter-final with Suarez Navarro – and won only 25 per cent of the points from her second serve.

In contrast, Pliskova, who started the week positioned at a career-high No 18 in the world and could now rise as high as 11, often appeared content to simply serve well and ensure she returned that of her opponent.

“It was a little bit windy, more than the other days, but I didn’t feel any difference in my serve or game,” Pliskova said.

She said the sand on the court affected the speed of the ball.

“The first set was a little bit tricky from both of us. We were doing quite a lot of mistakes. She was not serving good at all. She was doing double faults.”

Muguruza certainly had her chances.

In the seventh game with things having gone to serve, she led 40-0, but threw it away to face five break points and eventually double faulted to go behind 4-3.

After failing to break back, she started the second set in a far more composed manner as the winds calmed.

When she broke in the 12th game to take the set and level the scores, she did so without facing a single break point and only double faulting once.

“I played bad, but even playing and I almost won the match,” Muguruza said.

“It’s all mental. You just have to put the ball in because the other player is also nervous. I have the proof here: I think Pliskova was playing – she closed her eyes and she hits it and it’s a winner.”

Pliskova had been in fine form in 2015, reaching the semi-finals in Antwerp this month and the final of January’s Sydney International to break into the world top 20 for the first time.

She leads the WTA in aces for the year having hit 144 through 21 matches and finished yesterday with 13 aces to Muguruza’s nine.

“Of course my serve is my biggest weapon, but I did some double faults here as well,” Pliskova said. “There is a lot to improve in the serve, but I’m happy that it’s working.”

If Pliskova’s serving form continues, today’s other finalist may have to weather a storm of an altogether different nature.

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