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No. 2 seed Iga Swiatek overcame fifth-seeded Elena Rybakina in two sets 6-2 7-5 to progress into the Doha semifinal and clinch her 15th consecutive win at the Qatar Open.
The Pole - who is bidding for a four-peat in Doha this week - made an early statement after breaking the Kazakh in the second and eighth games to routinely win the first set.
After basically not managing to do anything in the first set, Rybakina bounced back at the start of the second set as she earned her first break of the match in the first game and then saved a total of five break points across her next service games before eventually opening a 4-2 lead.
But Swiatek didn't want to easily go away and she responded with breaks in the eighth and 12th games to overturn the deficit and get the job done in two sets.
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For the Pole, this was her second win over the 2022 Wimbledon champion this year, having also beaten the Kazakh in two sets at the United Cup.
For a place in the Doha final, the No. 2 seed will play against the winner of the match between Ons Jabeur and Jelena Ostapenko.
Swiatek reflects on her win: I'm proud, never easy playing her
After leveling the head-to-head with Rybakina to 4-4, the Polish five-time Grand Slam champion didn't hide her happiness.
Im super happy & proud of myself. Playing against Elena is never easy. Beginning of 2nd set she increased her level. I needed to do that to in order to come back. Im really happy. With her serve, its tough," the 23-year-old said.
If Swiatek completes a Doha four-peat, she will become only the second player in the 21st century to achieve such a feat.
