Imperious Swiatek surges past Rybakina to reach Qatar Open semi-finals
The world No 2 overcame Elena Rybakina 6-2, 7-5 to record her 15th straight win in the Qatari capital. She’ll play Jelena Ostapenko in the last four
Iga Swiatek, Qatar Open, 2025 © Imago / Psnewz
Iga Swiatek‘s bid for a record-extending fourth consecutive Qatar Open title remains well on track as she proved too strong for Elena Rybakina, sweeping aside the fifth seed 6-2, 7-5 to return to the last four with a 15th straight win in Doha.
In a rematch of last year’s final, the three-time defending champion once again asserted her total authority on the courts of Qatar, comprehensively outplaying Rybakina in the opening set before a competitive and high-quality second also eventually went the Pole’s way.
Today’s win marks the first time that Swiatek has recorded consecutive victories against the Kazakh in what is an ever-burgeoning and fascinating rivalry between two of the WTA’s finest players. Currently ranked second in the rankings, Swiatek has also moved level in the pair’s head-to-head at 4-4.
dominant swiatek start gives way to tight second set
The Pole got off to a typically lightning-quick start, breaking in the second game before striking again in the eighth to comfortably take the first set. Swiatek lost only six points on her serve across the opening stanza as Rybakina struggled to get into a rhythm against the rapid-fire start from her opponent.
It was all change with the arrival of the second set, however, as what had been a one-sided start then gave way to a close and compelling contest.
A moment off court seemed to do the world of good for the Kazakh, who broke Swiatek’s serve in the opening game of that second set, before fending off two break points to consolidate. By this point, Rybakina’s return had found its usual penetrating depth while her formidable groundstrokes also began flowing freely, frequently puncturing her opponent’s previously iron-clad defence.
Rybakina continued to come under sustained pressure from the world No 2, but she held firm impressively, saving another three break points in the fourth game as she successfully protected her break to move into a 4-3 lead.
But the three-time defending champion was unrelenting. Swiatek broke back in the eighth game, converting break point with an excellent forehand winner down the line to restore parity before saving two break points in the next game to nudge ahead at 5-4.
A hold for Rybakina steadied the ship temporarily, but Swiatek then delivered the fatal blow in the twelfth game. The Kazakh couldn’t force a tiebreak when serving at 6-5 down, landing a desperately ill-timed double-fault on match point to succumb to defeat to Swiatek for the second year running in Doha.
swiatek’s remarkable doha dominance continues
The Pole’s dominance at this tournament is now quite remarkable. Having missed 2021’s event, the last time Swiatek lost in the Qatari capital was all the way back in 2020 and she remains well on track for an unprecedented fourth consecutive title.
With slower-playing hard courts complimenting her topspin-heavy game and aiding an already formidable defence, Swiatek looks close to unstoppable in Qatar with form not far off the stratospheric heights she has set and maintained at Roland-Garros for the past five years.
She will play world No 37 Jelena Ostapenko in the semi-finals.
It goes without saying by this point, but the Latvian faces a mammoth task in that match. She has, though, been something of a persistent thorn in the Pole’s side in recent years, having won all four of the pair’s encounters – including their most recent meeting at the 2023 US Open.
If anyone can halt the seemingly unstoppable train that is Swiatek in Doha, it will be Ostapenko.
