(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Chinthana Wasala |
The Peninsula
Doha, Qatar: Iga Swiatek clinched her third straight Qatar TotalEnergies Open crown with a thrilling 7-6(8), 6-2 triumph over World No.4 Elena Rybakina in the final yesterday.
The World No.1 became the first player in history to bag a hat-trick of coveted titles in Doha.
It also made the Poland's star the first player to secure three successive titles at a single WTA event since Serena Williams' remarkable run at the Miami Open from 2013 to 2015.
As expected, the yesterday's title match had a lot of drama of exciting action.
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Rybakina broke Swiatek twice to lead 4-1 in the opening set before an unfortunate incident saw the World No.4 needing a medical timeout due to a cut caused by her racquet, halting her momentum for a moment. Swiatek staged a fierce comeback, overcoming set points against her and ultimately securing the first set in a thrilling tie-break. She carried this momentum into the second set, decisively breaking Rybakina's serve and sailing to victory in two hours and 19 minutes.
Iga Swiatek of Poland reacts after defeating Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan in the singles final, yesterday. AFP
This victory not only marks Swiatek's 18th career singles victory but also her inaugural win for the 2024 season, further solidifying her status at the top of women's tennis.
Reflecting on her achievement, Swiatek shared the immense pressure and expectations she faced heading into the tournament.
“Being the double-defending champion wasn't easy. So I'm happy that I have this experience already, and hopefully, I'm going to use it,” Swiatek said before receiving the prestigious Falcon trophy from Qatar Museums Chairperson H E Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, in the presence of Qatar Tennis and Squash Federation President Nasser bin Ghanim Al Khelaifi.
“You don't even know hard it was not to think about it,” said Swiatek, who has now amassed an impressive 13-1 record in Doha since her 2020 debut.
“I came here and was pretty stressed because I felt the expectations. I wanted to do everything step by step like I always do. I'm really happy. I'm really proud of myself,” the victorious 22-year-old said.
“I never knew that it's so special to win three times in a row,” Swiatek said.“But I would say that it happens when you actually don't know about it, so I don't aim to break any records. I'm just playing tennis, and that's all.”
The losing finalist Rybakina, meanwhile, acknowledged Swiatek's exceptional play throughout the week and said she was fighting until the final point.
“I fought till the end,” said Rybakina.
“Congratulations to Iga for a great week.”
Swiatek has now won 23 sets in a row in Doha, with her last set lost at the event was the second set of her 2022 opening-round clash against Viktorija Golubic.
Demi Schuurs (left) of the Netherlands and Luisa Stefani of Brazil celebrate after winning the Qatar TotalEnergies Open doubles title.
Earlier yesterday, No.5 seeds Demi Schuurs of the Netherlands and Luisa Stefani of Brazil claimed the Qatar TotalEnergies Open doubles title with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over unseeded Americans Caroline Dolehide and Desirae Krawczyk.
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