Qatar Open: Ostapenko Dominates Swiatek to Secure Final Spot
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Synopsis
Jelena Ostapenko maintains her winning streak against Iga Swiatek, defeating her in the semifinals of the Qatar Open with a dominant score of 6-3, 6-1. This victory marks Ostapenko's advance to her 17th WTA Tour final, where she will face Amanda Anisimova.
Key Takeaways
- Ostapenko achieves her fifth consecutive win against Swiatek.
- She progresses to the Qatar Open final.
- This marks her longest gap between WTA 1000 finals.
- Ostapenko has not dropped a set this week.
- She will face Amanda Anisimova in the final.
Doha, Feb 15 (NationPress) Entering the semifinal against Iga Swiatek, Jelena Ostapenko was optimistic about her chances of winning and moving into the final of the Qatar Open on Friday. Ostapenko upheld her impressive record against Swiatek, achieving her fifth consecutive victory with a straight-sets triumph.
"I was pretty confident that I would beat her because we've played a lot of matches and I know how to play against her," said the former French Open champion Ostapenko during her on-court interview post-match. "I was more focused on myself and what I had to do. I'm happy with the way I'm handling my emotions this week."
The Latvian athlete defeated the No. 2 seed with a commanding score of 6-3, 6-1 in the semifinals, putting an end to Swiatek's impressive 15-match winning streak at the tournament.
With this victory, Ostapenko advanced to her 17th career WTA Tour final, marking her second in Doha and fourth at the WTA 1000 level or higher (previously in Doha 2016, Roland Garros 2017, and Miami 2018). The gap of six years and 321 days since her last WTA 1000 final is the longest since the format's introduction in 2009.
The 27-year-old, who has not lost a set this week, is set to face another unseeded player, Amanda Anisimova, for her most significant title since Roland Garros 2017. Their only past encounter also occurred in Doha, where Ostapenko emerged victorious in their 2022 second-round match with a score of 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.
The 2017 Roland Garros champion had ample reason for her confidence. She is currently the only active player with a winning record against Swiatek (having played at least two matches). Among retired players, only Ashleigh Barty, a former World No. 1, has a similar record, finishing 2-0 against the Polish player.
The contest lasted only 70 minutes, marking Swiatek's quickest match since she lost 6-0, 6-4 in 69 minutes to Garbiñe Muguruza in the second round of the 2021 Dubai tournament. Swiatek's total of four games won is the lowest she has achieved since her defeat of 6-2, 6-2 to Elena Rybakina in the 2023 Indian Wells semifinals. To find a match where Swiatek won fewer than four games, one must look back to 2019, when she lost 6-0, 6-2 in just 51 minutes to none other than Ostapenko.
That match was their first encounter, and Ostapenko later won at Indian Wells 2021, following two victories that coincided with Swiatek's first reign as World No. 1. Her 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(4) win in the 2022 Dubai third round was Swiatek's last defeat before she ascended to the top and embarked on a historic 37-match winning streak. The 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 victory by Ostapenko in the 2023 US Open fourth round led to Swiatek losing her World No. 1 status to Aryna Sabalenka for the first time.
