The Peninsula
Doha, Qatar: Defending champion Iga Swiatek took her title chase at the WTA Qatar TotalEnergies Open a step further by reaching her third consecutive quarter-final, while former World No.1 booked her spot in the last eight without even having to compete.
The World number one continued her quest for a third consecutive Qatar Open title at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex with a commanding victory over 14th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova. The Polish star showcased her top form, cruising to a 6-1, 6-4 win, and proving yet again that she is the tournament favourite.
Swiatek has now won 10 matches in a row in Doha as she improved he head-to-head record against Alexandrova to 3-1 with the 1-hour and 31-minute victory.
Waiting for her next is Victoria Azarenka, another two-time champion in Doha, who dispatched eighth seed Jelena Ostapenko with a commanding 6-0, 6-3 win, setting the stage for a blockbuster quarter-final clash today.
In contrast, Japan’s four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka advanced to the quarter-finals without taking to the court, as her opponent, Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko who beat fourth seed Ons Jabeur in round two, withdrew due to an elbow injury. The walkover provides Osaka a vital rest day as she gears up for a challenging quarter-final showdown against Karolina Pliskova, signaling her strong return to the tour after maternity leave.
The day also saw Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova eliminate sixth seed Czech star Marketa Vondrousova in straight sets, 7-5, 6-3.
American Danielle Collins also delivered a solid performance to defeat Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic, 6-4, 6-3, while
Young Canadian sensation Leylah Fernandez also advanced with an impressive win.
Following an unexpected victory over 12th seed Liudmila Samsonova and a remarkable rally against former-world No. 2 Paula Badosa, the 21-year-old Fernandez elevated her level to secure only her second Top 10 victory since the 2021 US Open, defeating Zheng with a score of 7-5, 6-3.
“I’m extremely pumped up, I’m super happy with my level. There’s still a lot of work to do, but so far so good, so we’re just going to keep going,” said Fernandez, who made the main round of the Qatar TotalEnergies Open for the first time, having missed out in the qualifying round last year.
Meanwhile, third seed Elena Rybakina was pushed to the limit by 16th-seeded American Emma Navarro, eventually prevailing 6-1, 6-7 (6), 6-4 in a gripping encounter.
“I’m extremely pumped up, I’m super happy with my level. There’s still a lot of work to do, but so far so good, so we’re just going to keep going,” said Fernandez.
Karolina Pliskova also reached the last eight after staging a remarkable comeback against fellow Czech Linda Noskova, fighting back after a first-set deficit to win 3-6, 7-5, 6-1.