DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — In a surprising turn of events at the Dubai Championships, Clara Tauson emerged victorious over the top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka with a score of 6-3, 6-2, propelling her into the quarterfinals on Wednesday.

The 22-year-old player from Denmark faced a challenging night before the match, having fought hard in a previous round against Elina Svitolina, which extended into three sets and concluded late.

“I think I managed only about five hours of sleep last night. We finally went to sleep around 3:30 a.m.,” Tauson explained during her post-match interview. “I was uncertain about how I would perform today, but it turned out quite well.”

This victory marks Tauson’s first win against a player ranked No. 1. She will now face Linda Noskova, who secured her spot in the semifinals after defeating fifth-seeded Jessica Pegula with a score of 6-3, 7-6 (8).

In another match, second-seeded Iga Swiatek advanced by beating Dayana Yastremska with a score of 7-5, 6-0. Swiatek’s next opponent will be Mirra Andreeva, who triumphed over Peyton Sterns with a convincing 6-1, 6-1 victory.

The defending champion, Jasmine Paolini, was unable to continue in the tournament after suffering a right ankle injury during her match against Sofia Kenin. Paolini expressed her distress as she received medical attention but ultimately was unable to compete effectively, resulting in a 6-4, 6-0 defeat to Kenin.

Kenin will move on to face sixth-seeded Elena Rybakina in the upcoming quarterfinals, who won her match against ninth-seeded Paula Badosa with close scores of 4-6, 7-6 (8), and 7-6 (2).

In another matchup, Sorana Cirstea took a tightly contested match against Emma Navarro with scores of 7-6 (5), 3-6, 7-5. Cirstea will face off against Karolina Muchova, who earlier overcame McCartney Kessler with scores of 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (5).