Swiatek defeats Rybakina to advance to Qatar Open semis, Alexandrova also advances
Three-time defending champion Iga Swiatek, aged 23, progressed to the semi-finals of the WTA Qatar Open on Thursday, securing a straight-sets victory over last year's finalist, Elena Rybakina, who is 25 years old.
The second-seeded Swiatek overcame a resurgence from the fifth-seeded Kazakh in the second set, ultimately winning with scores of 6-2, 7-5.
Ekaterina Alexandrova maintained her strong performance by defeating sixth-seed Jessica Pegula with a scoreline of 4-6, 6-1, 6-1, having previously eliminated world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the second round.
With the departures of Rybakina and Pegula, Swiatek remains the sole seed left in the Doha tournament.
"I'm super happy and proud of myself, in the second set I felt she lifted her level," said Swiatek.Her next opponent will be Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko, who comfortably defeated Tunisia's Ons Jabeur, a former world number two, with a score of 6-2, 6-2.
"They have totally different game styles. I need to be prepared for some tricky shots, but I have some myself," added five-time Grand Slam winner Swiatek who is bidding for a 23rd WTA title., a five-time Grand Slam champion, who is in pursuit of her 23rd WTA title.
In her match against Rybakina, Swiatek dominated the first set in just over thirty minutes, breaking her opponent's serve twice. However, the Polish player was broken at the beginning of the second set and faced difficulties in catching up, missing five break points before finally leveling the score at 4-4.
A crucial break at 6-5 in favor of Swiatek, aided by a double fault from Rybakina, secured the match for the Polish player.
Earlier, Alexandrova, currently ranked 26th, extended her winning streak to eight matches, having recently claimed the title at the tournament in Linz, Austria.
The Russian player faced significant challenges in the initial set against her fifth-ranked rival, managing to save six out of eight break points, while also incurring the consequences of four double faults.
However, she regained her composure and dominated the subsequent sets, allowing her opponent to win only two games, thus achieving a 2-1 record in their third encounter.
"I just play every single match and every single point and I don't think about the future," said the 30-year-old, who is bidding for a sixth career title.
She is set to compete against Amanda Anisimova for a chance to reach the final, following Anisimova's victory over Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk with scores of 4-6, 7-5, 6-4.
"It's step by step and I am glad that policy is working out as I feel amazing. Being in semis is just great.
"When I saw the draw I thought maybe I will not get very far. But overall so far played great matches here...hope it continues."
SportsLigue