Elena Rybakina has emerged victorious in two competitions in the year 2024.
Elena Rybakina (L), Iga Swiatek (R) (Sources: Tennis World USA, Acef)
overcame her opponent in straight sets to secure a spot in the finals of the 2024 Doha Open, where she will now go head-to-head with another player.
The player from Kazakhstan has had an impressive season thus far, already clinching two titles in 2024 (Brisbane International and Abu Dhabi Open). If she manages to defeat the current World No. 1, she could potentially add a third trophy to her collection, all before the month of February comes to an end.
Rybakina’s performance in the Doha Open has been outstanding. Throughout the entire tournament, she has only dropped one set, which occurred during the second round against a different opponent. In the quarterfinals, she triumphed over her rival with a score of 6-4, 6-2, and in the semifinals, she defeated Pavlyuchenkova with a score of 6-2, 6-4. Her aim now is to achieve a similar outcome against Iga Swiatek, although her primary focus is to recover well ahead of the final match.
Iga Swiatek has also had a remarkable campaign in the Doha Open. Her victory in the quarterfinals, with a score of 6-4, 6-0, was particularly impressive.
However, she received a walkover in the semifinals. The Polish player is determined to secure her first title of the season after a disappointing performance in the 2024 .
Elena Rybakina and Iga Swiatek have faced off against each other a total of four times, and the Kazakh player has a strong track record against the current World No. 1.
Out of those four matches, she has emerged victorious in three, while Swiatek has only managed to win one. Two of Rybakina’s wins took place in 2023 at the Australian Open and Indian Wells, respectively. Prior to that, she had defeated Swiatek in the Ostrava Open back in 2021.
Swiatek’s sole triumph against Elena Rybakina occurred in the 2023 Italian Open, when Rybakina was forced to retire. Therefore, based on both her head-to-head record against Swiatek and her current form, Elena Rybakina is considered the frontrunner to win the final match on Saturday.
If she emerges victorious in this tournament, Rybakina may take a break and shift her focus directly towards the Indian Wells, which is scheduled to begin in March.
According to the Source firstsportz.com