Swiatek Beats Rybakina to Reach Qatar Open Semifinals

Iga Swiatek, the three-time defending champion, reached the semifinals of the Qatar Open by defeating Elena Rybakina 6-2, 7-5 on Thursday. Swiatek will now face Jelena Ostapenko, who won 6-2, 6-2 against Ons Jabeur, for a place in the final.

Swiatek, who is ranked second in the world, admitted that Rybakina raised her level in the second set, which forced Swiatek to do the same to secure the win. This match was a rematch of last year’s title match between the two players.

At the start of the year, Rybakina had a 4-2 lead in their head-to-head record, but now the two are tied at 4-4.

In another quarterfinal, Ekaterina Alexandrova continued her strong form by beating sixth-seeded Jessica Pegula 4-6, 6-1, 6-1. Alexandrova, who is ranked 26th, had already defeated world number one Aryna Sabalenka earlier in the week.

“When I saw the draw, I thought maybe I wouldn’t get very far,” Alexandrova said. “But I’ve played great matches so far, and I hope it continues.”

Alexandrova will now play another American, Amanda Anisimova, in the semifinals. Anisimova won 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 against Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine to advance.