Story highlights
Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska will move up one place in world rankings after Dubai win
She will move into the top five for the first time in her career having claimed eighth title
Juan Martin del Potro and Michael Llodra to contest the final of the Marseille Open
Jurgen Melzer will face in-form Canadian Milos Raonic in the final of the Memphis event
Agnieszka Radwanska is already the most successful Polish female tennis player, but her achievements will reach a new level when the world rankings are released on Monday.
The 22-year-old will climb to a career-high No. 5 after winning the Dubai Tennis Championships on Saturday, when she beat Germany’s rising star Julia Gorges 7-5 6-4 in the final.
Radwanska, the first Polish woman to pass $1 million in prize money, claimed the eighth title of her career and her first this year.
She extended her record to 15-3 this season, with her only defeats coming against world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka in the last eight at the Australian Open and the semifinals in Sydney and Doha.
Gorges, making her Dubai debut, had reached her fourth career final after knocking out Caroline Wozniacki – Melbourne champion Azarenka’s predecessor at the top – in Friday’s semis.
Victory on Saturday would have seen the 23-year-old climb to a career-high 15th in the rankings, up from 19, but – just like in the fourth round of January’s opening grand slam Down Under – she had no answer to Radwanska’s game.
Meanwhile, former U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro reached his second successive final after beating top seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at the Marseille Open on Saturday.
The fourth-seeded Argentine, who has climbed back up the rankings to 10th after long-term wrist problems, won 6-4 6-7 (9-11) 6-3 against the French world No. 6 – who won this tournament in 2009.
Both players had reached the career milestone of 200 match wins on Friday.
Del Potro, who lost to world No. 3 Roger Federer in the Rotterdam final last weekend, will face 2010 champion Michael Llodra in Sunday’s final.
The Frenchman went through after beating Serbian third seed Janko Tipsarevic 6-4 7-6 (12-10) in the second semi.
Jurgen Melzer reached the final of the Memphis hard-court event on Saturday, beating Czech third seed Radek Stepanek 6-4 3-6 6-3.
The Austrian followed up Friday’s win over American top seed John Isner, while Stepanek ended the hopes of 2010 winner Sam Querrey of the U.S. in their quarterfinal
Melzer will face last year’s runner-up Milos Raonic on Sunday after the in-form Canadian defeated Germany’s Benjamin Becker in straight sets.
The 21-year-old, seeking a third ATP title of the year, took just 75 minutes to ease through 6-4 6-4.
Fourth seed Raonic fired an impressive 14 aces on his way to a ninth straight victory and remains on course to add to his tournament victories in Chennai and San Jose.
