The Peninsula
World No.1 Iga Swiatek edged closer to an unprecedented third consecutive title at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open, while former champion Karolina Pliskova ended Naomi Osaka’s impressive run in Doha, yesterday.
At the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex, the reigning two-time-champion Swiatek made her presence felt once again with a dominant quarter-final victory, overpowering former World No.1 Victoria Azarenka in straight sets, 6-4, 6-0, in a match that lasted 1 hour and 14 minutes, with 17 winners to just five from the Belarusian.
“I felt like I started a little bit playing too aggressively maybe, but then I found my rhythm and the proper way to play,” Swiatek, the 22-year-old Polish sensation, said after the win against the two-time former winner of the Falcon trophy at the Doha tournament.
“I kept it till the end of the match. I’m happy that I could analyze during the match and then take a lesson from that,” Swiatek said after reaching the semi-finals of the prestigious WTA 1000 event while extending her winning streak in Doha to 11 matches.
Swiatek has an impressive record at the Gulf tournament, with a sole defeat in the 2020 second round to Svetlana Kuznetsova.
Aiming to emulate Serena Williams’ feat of winning a Hologic WTA Tour event three times in a row, Swiatek will take on Pliskova in the last four clash today.
Pliskova’s win, however, wasn’t easy.
Czech Pliskova, was tested to her limits by the Japanese star in the battle between two former World Number Ones. In a tense match that saw two sets decided by thrilling tie-breaks, Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, was unable to withstand Pliskova’s challenge, losing 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/5).
“Super happy to have many matches in a row,” Pliskova said after the win. “I feel like with every match I am getting better and better.”
This was Osaka’s second loss to Pliskova this year, following a three-set battle in Brisbane last month. However, the Doha quarter-final is the farthest the four-time Grand Slam champion has reached since her return from maternity break.
Yesterday’s win also extended Pliskova’s head-to-head lead over Osaka to 5-2.
Meanwhile, the semi-final stage will also witness a clash between third seed and former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who is making her first 1000-level hardcourt semifinal appearance in 14 years.
Rybakina, fresh from her victory in Abu Dhabi, overcame a challenging start to defeat Canadian sensation Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 6-2, while a resilient Pavlyuchenkova secured a 7-5, 6-4 victory over Danielle Collins in one hour and 34 minutes.
“I hope it will be a good match, we know each other well, both on and off the court,” said Rybakina ahead of her clash with Pavlyuchenkova.
Pavlyuchenkova said: “I was injured for a long time, so I’m happy to be back and able to fight on all points, and victories give me confidence.
I’ve been working a lot on the mental aspect and I feel like it’s paying off,” she added.