Iga Swiatek Barely Avoids Shock Loss Against Nemesis Noskova In Doha
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Iga Swiatek once again had to fight for every ball to beat Linda Noskova, but this time, she survived and advanced at the 2025 Qatar Open in Doha.
If there is someone who knows how to play against Swiatek, it's Noskova. The Czech player famously beat Swiatek at the 2024 Australian Open, and almost every time they meet, it's a three-set battle.
The Polish player needed three sets to beat Noskova in Miami and at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals last year, winning the final sets of those matches 6-4 and 7-5.
It wasn't any closer this time, even though the match was played at the WTA 1000 event in Doha. Swiatek has enjoyed incredible success at the Qatar Open over the years. In fact, she's a three-time defending champion.
Still, Noskova just knows how to play against her, and she proved it once again. The Czech player had a total of five break point chances in the first set of the match. Swiatek, on the other hand, had only one.
Noskova was certainly more disappointed that after having multiple chances to break her opponent, the set had to be decided in a tie-break. However, she handled that perfectly. Noskova won the tie-break 7-1, and it confirmed how well she played in the set, as she hit nine aces and just dominated on her serve.
But Swiatek hasn't won five Grand Slam titles by having the first challenge stop her. Quite the opposite. The WTA World No. 2 was able to break her opponent in the second set to lead 3-2.
That one break was not enough to win the set, though, as Noskova broke right back. But after adding one more break of serve, the highest standing seed in the Qatar Open draw led 4-3 and controlled the remainder of the set to win it 6-4.
Swiatek forced a decider, which proved to be a proper rollercoaster as well. The three-time champion led 2-0, but she lost that lead, and in a few minutes, the Pole faced a 3-4 deficit.
At one point, the scoreboard showed 4-3 and 30-0 for Noskova, but that was when Swiatek shifted gears one more time to secure an important win.
The 23-year-old player won 12 of the last 15 rallies, which helped her to win the match 6-7(1), 6-4, 6-4, and book a spot in the quarter-finals of the 2025 Qatar Open.
Up next, Swiatek will play against another player who is capable of making her life difficult. The Pole will take on Elena Rybakina, and she knows she has to be perfect against the Kazakhstani player.
"For sure, Elena is a really experienced player. One you need to be 100% against if you want to win. I’ll use my experience and the last match we played. It’s not gonna be easy. It’s gonna be a tough battle."
