One of the semifinals at the 2026 Abu Dhabi Open will see second-seeded Ekaterina Alexandrova take on Hailey Baptiste. This is the first semifinal for both players, with Alexandrova’s previous best a third-round appearance at the Brisbane International, whereas Baptiste’s best was a third-round run at the Australian Open.
Ekaterina Alexandrova vs Hailey Baptiste Match Details
Date: Feb. 6, 2026
Tournament: Abu Dhabi Open 2026
Round: Semifinals
Venue: Zayed Sports City International Tennis Center, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Surface: Outdoor hard
Category:Â WTA 500
Live Telecast: Tennis Channel, TSN, RDS, Sky Sports
Alexandrova vs Baptiste Head-to-Head
Alexandrova has a 1-0 head-to-head record against Baptiste, winning the only match against the American 6-1, 6-1 at the 2024 Wuhan Open.
Alexandrova’s season has been an underwhelming one so far, as she has not advanced past the third round in any event, including first-round exits at the Adelaide International and the Australian Open. At the Abu Dhabi Open, she received a bye in the first round, after which she began her campaign with a 6-3, 6-0 win over Dayana Yastremska. In the quarterfinals, she beat crowd favorite Alexandra Eala 6-3, 6-3, winning consecutive matches for the first time this season.
Meanwhile, Baptiste began her season with back-to-back first-round exits at Brisbane and Hobart to begin 2026, but had a decent run at the Australian Open, where she was competitive against Coco Gauff in the third round before bowing out. At the Abu Dhabi Open, Baptiste began with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 win against Teodora Kostović in the first round, followed by a 7-6(6), 0-6, 6-3 win over the fourth-seeded Emma Navarro. In the quarterfinals, she won 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 against fifth-seeded Liudmila Samsonova.
Alexandrova vs Baptiste Prediction
In her two matches in Abu Dhabi so far, Alexandrova won 73% of the first serve points and 45 percent of the second serve points. She has saved 10 of the 13 break points on her serve, while converting 11 of the 18 break point opportunities she got in the match.
On the other hand, Baptiste has won 64% of her first serve points and 51% of the second serve points in her three matches in Abu Dhabi so far. Her serve has been prone to attack, as the American player has been broken 11 times in three matches at the tournament. On the other hand, she has converted 14 of the 30 break points she has won in the opponent’s serve.
MORE: Alexandra Eala’s Opponent Reveals True Feelings After Knocking Her Out of Abu Dhabi Singles
The serve is Baptiste’s weak point, which will be the prime focus for Alexandrova. The latter has a good return game herself, and if she can break Baptiste early, then the American player will find it difficult to break back, as the Russian is a better server and has the power to end the rally early.
For Baptiste to have any chance, she needs to be solid behind her serve and play attacking tennis, to keep her opponent’s power at bay. The head-to-head and the seeding indicate that Alexandrova will have the upper hand.
Pick– Alexandrova to win in straight sets
