Defending champion Iga Swiatek and No. 3 seed Elena Rybakina are poised to face off in the inaugural WTA 1000 final of the year after securing their spots in the final on Friday.
Swiatek, the top-seeded player in Doha, was originally slated to compete against former world No. 1 Karolina Pliskova in the Doha semifinal. However, Pliskova, who had triumphed in five matches in Cluj-Napoca last week before winning her first four matches in Doha this week, withdrew from the Swiatek match due to a lower-back injury.
Following the announcement of Pliskova’s withdrawal, Rybakina took to the court to challenge Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Rybakina, ranked No. 4 in the world, efficiently handled Pavlyuchenkova, defeating the Russian 6-2 6-4.
Throughout the initial four games of the match, no break points were witnessed. Then, Rybakina elevated her game as the third-seeded Kazakh secured consecutive breaks in the fifth and seventh games, ultimately winning the next four games and clinching the first set in impressive fashion.
After claiming the last five games of the first set, Rybakina also broke Pavlyuchenkova in the opening game of the second set and held serve in the subsequent game to establish a 2-0 lead in the set. In the fourth game, Pavlyuchenkova applied significant pressure on Rybakina, but the Kazakh managed to save six break points before taking a 3-1 lead.
By preventing Pavlyuchenkova from regaining the break, Rybakina broke the Russian once again in the fifth game, securing a double break and subsequently serving out the following game to attain a commanding 5-1 lead.
Despite being down a set and facing a double break deficit, Pavlyuchenkova refused to surrender, winning the next three games. In the 10th game, Pavlyuchenkova had a break point opportunity to fully reenter the set, but Rybakina successfully saved it before capitalizing on her second match point, ultimately sealing a two-set victory.
When Swiatek, 22, and 24-year-old Rybakina clash in the Doha final, it will mark their fifth encounter. Prior to this match, Rybakina holds a 3-1 advantage in their head-to-head record.
In their first meeting of 2021 in Ostrava, Swiatek defeated Rybakina in straight sets. However, since then, Rybakina has emerged triumphant in three consecutive matches against Swiatek, prevailing over the Pole at the Australian Open, Indian Wells, and Rome. At the Australian Open and Indian Wells, Rybakina secured straight-set victories, while their Rome encounter concluded with Swiatek retiring in the third set due to injury.
Undoubtedly, Rybakina presents a formidable challenge for Swiatek, and it will be intriguing to witness if the top-seeded Pole can put an end to her three-match losing streak against the Kazakh and secure her third consecutive Doha title.
According to the Source tennisworldusa.org