Qatar Open: Swiatek Defeats Rybakina in Quarterfinals, Extends Winning Streak to 15

Synopsis

Iga Swiatek secured her place in the semifinals of the Qatar Open by defeating Elena Rybakina 6-2, 7-5, achieving her 15th consecutive win at the tournament. This victory marks a significant milestone as Swiatek becomes the second-fastest player to reach 100 wins at the WTA 1000 level.

Key Takeaways

Swiatek continues her impressive winning streak at the Qatar Open.
She is now tied in head-to-head matches against Rybakina.
Swiatek has achieved 100 WTA 1000 wins, second only to Williams.
Next, she faces Ostapenko, a tough competitor.
Ostapenko also made a statement by defeating Jabeur.

Doha, Feb 14 (NationPress) Three-time defending champion and former World No.1 Iga Swiatek advanced to the semifinals after defeating Elena Rybakina 6-2, 7-5 in Thursday's quarterfinals, marking her 15th consecutive victory at the tournament.

In a repeat of last year's final, Swiatek rallied from a 4-2 deficit in the second set and saved two break points at 4-4, eventually clinching the match in 1 hour and 36 minutes.

This triumph signifies Swiatek's 100th win at the WTA 1000 level in just 121 matches, making her the second-fastest player to reach this milestone after Serena Williams, who did it in 115 matches.

After her victory over Rybakina at the recent United Cup, Swiatek has now leveled their head-to-head record at 4-4, continuing her pursuit to become only the second WTA player since 2000 to secure four consecutive titles at a single event.

However, to reach the final, Swiatek must first overcome Jelena Ostapenko, the 2016 Doha finalist, who triumphed over Ons Jabeur 6-2, 6-2 in her quarterfinal match. Additionally, unseeded Ekaterina Alexandrova advanced to the semifinals by defeating American sixth seed Jessica Pegula 4-6, 6-1, 6-1 in a match lasting one hour and 42 minutes.

Swiatek aimed to set multiple records during the match. After winning the first set in 36 minutes without facing a break point, Rybakina managed to convert her second chance in the opening game, changing the match dynamics.

In the second set, Rybakina initially held strong, saving several break points until Swiatek capitalized on a crucial sixth break point at 4-3, 15-40, to level the game.

In the decisive moments, Swiatek executed a powerful cross-court backhand return winner off a short second serve to avoid a tiebreak, concluding the match just after Rybakina committed her second double fault.

As Swiatek seeks revenge against Ostapenko, the Latvian also avenged herself by easily defeating Jabeur in 71 minutes, having previously lost to her at the WTA 500 Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open.

Despite a challenging start to the season, Ostapenko has found her rhythm with four straight-set wins this week, including victories over seeded players.