Defending champion and world number one Iga Swiatek received a walkover into the Qatar TotalEnergies Open final on Friday, where she will face Elena Rybakina in her pursuit of a third consecutive title at the tournament. Swiatek, a four-time Grand Slam champion, was originally slated to play against Karolina Pliskova in the semifinals.
However, Pliskova, who recently won the Cluj tournament in Romania, withdrew due to a lower back injury. Pliskova had been on a winning streak, securing victory in her last nine matches. Despite facing tough competition in Qatar, including a challenging match against Naomi Osaka in the quarterfinals, Pliskova was unable to continue due to her injury. Meanwhile, former Wimbledon champion Rybakina secured her spot in the final by defeating Anastasia
Pavlyuchenkova with a score of 6-2, 6-4. Rybakina, seeded third, capitalized on key moments in the match, converting four out of six break points, while her unseeded opponent managed to convert only one out of nine opportunities.
“I’m pleased that I was able to close out the match, performing slightly better during those crucial moments,” stated Rybakina, representing Kazakhstan, during her on-court interview.
In the opening set, Rybakina secured breaks against Pavlyuchenkova in the fifth and eighth games. Although Pavlyuchenkova saved three set points in the subsequent game, she also missed an opportunity to break back before ultimately conceding. “The first set was tightly contested, with both of us putting up a fight,” Rybakina remarked.
In the second set, Rybakina quickly secured a break in the opening game before consolidating with a hold to extend her streak to six consecutive games. Pavlyuchenkova managed to hold her serve, halting Rybakina’s momentum, and then had multiple break opportunities in the following game.
Despite her efforts, she failed to capitalize on any of them. Eventually, Pavlyuchenkova capitalized on her eighth break point, recovering from a 30-0 deficit in the eighth game. Subsequently, she held her serve as Rybakina faced challenges with her forehand.
When Rybakina served for the match, Pavlyuchenkova earned another break point opportunity, but her shot went long. Although she saved one match point, Rybakina clinched victory with an ace. Pavlyuchenkova, aged 32, is gradually regaining her form after battling a knee injury for an extended period.
Rybakina expressed admiration for Pavlyuchenkova’s comeback, acknowledging her strong performance in the challenging match.
Regarding the upcoming final against Swiatek, Rybakina remarked, “We’re both quite familiar with each other’s playing styles, and naturally, we’ve been studying and analyzing. So far, things have been going my way, but as I mentioned, she’s performing exceptionally well. It’s evident that she’s a bit fresher than me.
Priority-wise, my focus is on physical recovery because when facing Iga, it’s largely about physical endurance. She demands hard work for every point, and while I need to maintain my aggressive approach and stick to my game plan, tomorrow’s match will ultimately reveal my options.”
Rybakina is vying for her third title of the year, following victories in Adelaide and Abu Dhabi last week. Swiatek comes into today’s final riding an 11-match winning streak in Doha, having claimed victory in her last 21 sets at the tournament.
Throughout her career, she holds a remarkable win-loss record of 12-1 at the event, with her sole defeat occurring in the second round in 2020 against Svetlana Kuznetsova.
The current World No.1 is aiming to make history by becoming the first woman to secure three consecutive titles at a single Hologic WTA Tour event since Serena Williams achieved this feat at the Miami Open from 2013 to 2015.