Elina Svitolina of Ukraine celebrates after defeating Angelique Kerber of Germany during their semi-final match at the WTA Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship. Pic/AFP

Elina Svitolina beat Angelique Kerber 6-3, 6-3 on Friday to set up a Dubai Championships title defence against Daria Kasatkina. Russia's unseeded Kasatkina upset Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza 3-6, 7-6 (13/11), 6-1, saving three match points in her semi-final which lasted two and a half hours. Svitolina is hoping to become just the third woman after Justine Henin and Venus Williams to win back-to-back Dubai titles. The top-seeded Ukrainian dominated double Grand Slam winner Kerber in 85 minutes with five breaks of serve against the German, a former world number one. "I'm very pleased to be in the final again," said Svitolina after her fifth consecutive victory over Kerber. "It was a tough battle. I played well in the tight moments, I tried to focus only on what I had to do on court and let nothing else into my mind.