Qatar Open: Swiatek Advances, Jabeur Dominates, Svitolina Outlasts Vondrousova in Doha
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Synopsis
Iga Swiatek advances in the Qatar Open, defeating Maria Sakkari in straight sets, while Ons Jabeur and Elina Svitolina also secure victories. Leylah Fernandez achieves a significant upset against a Top-10 player, setting the stage for an exciting tournament in Doha.
Key Takeaways
- Iga Swiatek defeats Maria Sakkari 6-3, 6-2.
- Ons Jabeur wins convincingly over McCartney Kessler.
- Elina Svitolina rallies to beat Marketa Vondrousova.
- Leylah Fernandez upsets No. 8 seed Emma Navarro.
- Swiatek aims for her fourth consecutive Qatar Open title.
Doha (Qatar), Feb 10 (NationPress) Former World No.1 Iga Swiatek, seeded second, continues her quest for a fourth title at the Qatar Open, triumphing over Maria Sakkari from Greece in a straight-sets victory during the second round of the WTA event on Monday. Swiatek, currently ranked No.2 in the latest WTA Rankings, defeated Sakkari with scores of 6-3, 6-2 in the Round of 32 of this hard court competition.
The Polish star, who received a bye in the initial round, is on the hunt for her first title in eight months, last winning at Roland Garros five years ago. Notably, that remarkable streak started in Doha, where Swiatek became the first player since Serena Williams to win a WTA event three years in a row.
After recently losing to eventual champion Madison Keys at the 2025 Australian Open, Swiatek aims to become only the second woman this century to win the same tournament four times in a row, following Caroline Wozniacki's achievement in New Haven from 2008 to 2011.
Meanwhile, Ons Jabeur and Elina Svitolina also secured victories in their Round of 64 matches, with Leylah Fernandez achieving a notable upset against a Top-10 player.
The Arab sensation Jabeur captivated the Doha audience with a commanding 6-2, 6-0 win over McCartney Kessler on Centre Court, needing only 56 minutes to dominate the American player.
Jabeur, a former World No. 2 and the highest-ranked Arab player in tennis history, is making her 10th main-draw appearance in Doha this week. She kicked off her campaign with a bang, winning 89 percent of her second-service points. As a two-time quarterfinalist in Doha, Jabeur will face No. 7 seed Zheng Qinwen from China next, marking their first encounter since the 2023 US Open, where Zheng leads their head-to-head 2-0.
In a matchup between past Top 10 competitors, Ukraine's Svitolina battled through a challenging first set to defeat Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic 0-6, 6-2, 7-5 in 1 hour and 54 minutes.
Svitolina had to rally from an early break down in the final set and narrowly missed a match point at 5-4 before ultimately clinching the win. The former World No. 3 now leads her rivalry with 2023 Wimbledon champion Vondrousova 4-3. Svitolina's next challenge is against No. 6 seed Jessica Pegula of the United States, last year’s US Open runner-up, with Pegula ahead in their head-to-head 4-2, though Svitolina won their most recent clash at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Fernandez secured a place in the Round of 16 after defeating No. 8 seed Emma Navarro 6-2, 6-2. The World No. 27 achieved this victory in just 66 minutes, marking her eighth career win against a Top 10 player. Historically, Fernandez has excelled against Navarro, leading their tour-level encounters 3-1 and previously triumphing in the 2019 Junior Roland Garros final.
