Iga Swiatek has cruised into another semifinal at the Qatar Open in what is becoming one of her favorite tournaments, and she'll now eye two rare milestones this weekend.
Swiatek extended her winning streak at the first WTA 1000 tournament of the season to 11 after swatting aside former champion Victoria Azarenka 6-4, 6-0. The Pole has been able to put the brakes on every challenger at this event in each of the last two years.
Her only defeat in Doha came against Svetlana Kuznetsova in 2020, just before Swiatek would become a Grand Slam champion. Since then, she has won the Qatar Open in back-to-back years, dropping one set in the process. Last year, for instance, she only lost five games to win the title.
By contrast, she has dropped 11 games this week in three matches, but her dominance has not dwindled. Swiatek has won 6-1 sets thrice and one bagel set. What is even more striking is that she has been receiving the toughest opening matches at every tournament she has played in comparison to other players.
She is now the clear favorite to win the title on Saturday, and if she does so, she will become the first woman to win the Qatar Open on three occasions while simultaneously doing so in succession. Four other WTA players have won this tournament twice, but Swiatek will beat them to the record.
The Pole would also achieve the rare distinction of becoming the first WTA player to three-peat in a tournament since 2015. She will emulate the 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams, who won three Miami Opens between 2013 and 2015.
Swiatek will face former World No. 1 Karolina Pliskova in the semifinal on Friday. The 22-year-old leads their head-to-head 4-0, winning their most recent clash at the 2023 Canadian Open in straight sets. But the big-serving Czech has been in great form in recent weeks and will bank on that to cause an upset.
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