World No. 1 Iga Swiatek has achieved a remarkable feat in the Doha tournament, becoming the first player since Serena Williams to reach three consecutive finals in a single hard-court event, according to OptaAce. Swiatek, who is the top seed and defending champion in Doha, advanced to the final after receiving a walkover from Karolina Pliskova in the semifinals. This will be the third consecutive Doha final for the 22-year-old Polish player when she faces off against Elena Rybakina on Saturday.
In 2022, Swiatek claimed her first Doha title with a dominant performance, defeating Anett Kontaveit 6-2 6-0 in the final. She successfully defended her title last year by defeating Jessica Pegula 6-3 6-0. Now, Swiatek is on the verge of achieving a three-peat in Doha.
The last time a player reached three consecutive finals in a single hard-court tournament was between 2015 and 2017, when Serena Williams accomplished this feat at the Australian Open. During those three years, Williams emerged as the champion in 2015 and 2017, while finishing as the runner-up in 2016.
After Karolina Pliskova withdrew from the tournament, Iga Swiatek made history by becoming the first player to reach three consecutive finals in a single hard-court WTA event (Doha 2021-2023), a feat previously achieved by Serena Williams at the Australian Open (2015-17). This is truly impressive.
Pliskova had a successful run in Doha, winning her first four matches after her recent victory in Cluj-Napoca. However, due to exhaustion and a lower back injury, she had to withdraw from the tournament. Pliskova expressed her regret and stated that her body couldn’t handle the strain of multiple matches, especially after a tough match against Naomi. She wished Swiatek and the other finalists well.
Swiatek, on the other hand, expressed her happiness at reaching another final in Doha but expressed disappointment that they couldn’t play and entertain the audience. She sent her well wishes to Pliskova for a speedy recovery and congratulated her and her team on their impressive performance over the past two weeks.
Although Swiatek is only one win away from claiming the Doha title, it won’t be an easy task as she has lost her last three encounters against Rybakina. The outcome of the final remains uncertain, adding to the excitement of the tournament.
According to the Source tennisworldusa.org