Iga Swiatek made a strong start at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open on Wednesday. The world no. 1 won her opening-round match against Danielle Collins 6-0, 6-1 in only 53 minutes. The Pole who’s the top seed this week in Doha is playing for the first time this season since bowing out of the Australian Open in the fourth round.
Swiatek won 74% of her first-serve points and 69% points on return on the American’s first serve. The 21-year-old also won 80% points on return on the latter’s second serve while winning 69% of her second-serve points. She didn’t face a single break point but went on to convert five of seven break points on Collins’ serve. Both players finished the match with eight winners each. But Swiatek had only six unforced errors to her opponent’s 22. In fact, all eight of Collins’ winners came in the second set.
Qatar TotalEnergies Open: A sad ending for Belinda Bencic
Meanwhile, after her advancing to the quarter-finals, Swiatek received a walkover into the semi-finals as her quarter-final opponent, Belinda Bencic decided to quit the event on account of fatigue. Earlier, the seventh seed notched a comeback win for herself against twice former champion in Doha, Victoria Azarenka.
Bencic needed two hours and 42 minutes to claim a 1-6, 7-6(4), 6-4 win. This was the seventh match she’d won consecutively going back to her title run in Abu Dhabi.
Fourth seed Coco Gauff ended Petra Kvitova’s journey in Doha in the second round. The American won 6-3, 7-6(6) in an hour and 24 minutes against the 2021 winner. Gauff will play eighth seed Veronika Kudermetova next. Kudermetova came through against Gauff’s compatriot, Sofia Kenin 6-2, 7-5 in an hour and 49 minutes in their round-of-16 match-up.
The winner between Gauff and Kudermetova will play Swiatek in the semi-final.
The lone upset of the day came at the hands of Beatriz Haddad Maia in the WTA 500 event. The Brazilian saved a handful of set points in the second set to send sixth seed Daria Kasatkina packing, 6-3, 7-6(7) after an hour and 40 minutes of play.
Haddad Maia will take on second seed Jessica Pegula for a chance to reach the semi-finals. The American needed three sets and an hour and 52 minutes to vanquish Jelena Ostapenko, 6-2, 2-6, 7-5.
The last quarter-final at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open will be contested between fifth seed Maria Sakkari and sixth seed Caroline Garcia. The Greek defeated Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-3, 6-2 in their second-round meeting. The Frenchwoman came from down a set against Karoline Muchova, 6-7(3), 7-5, 6-4 after three hours of play.
Photo Credit: Iga Swiatek Twitter