World number one Iga Swiatek needed just 53 minutes to rout Danielle Collins and reach the Doha Open quarter‑finals on Wednesday. The reigning French and US Open champion, playing her first match since a shock last‑16 exit at the Australian Open, defeated the 42nd‑ranked American 6‑0, 6‑1. Swiatek will now face last weekend’s Abu Dhabi champion and world number nine Belinda Bencic for a semi‑final spot. “I felt pretty confident,” Swiatek said. “I’m happy that I was composed from the beginning to the end, focused and disciplined with tactics. I didn’t let Danielle get into a rhythm; I wanted to be aggressive.”
Bencic rallied to defeat Victoria Azarenka 1‑6, 7‑6 (7‑4), 6‑4 after being down 6‑1, 4‑1 at one stage.
World number six Coco Gauff opened her Doha campaign with a 6‑3, 7‑6 (8‑6) win over two‑time champion Petra Kvitova. The 2018 and 2021 Doha champion hit 21 winners but also committed 31 unforced errors, while Gauff made only 14. “I’ve watched her for a long time, and it was weird playing her—it felt like meeting a celebrity,” Gauff said of the two‑time Wimbledon champion. The 18‑year‑old will next face Veronika Kudermetova, who reached her fourth quarter‑final of 2023 by defeating former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin 6‑2, 7‑5.
American second seed Jessica Pegula saved two match points to beat former French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko 6‑2, 2‑6, 7‑5. Pegula was down 5‑2 in the third set and faced match points at 5‑4, but recovered to secure victory in just under two hours. She will next meet Beatriz Haddad Maia, who advanced after the Brazilian defeated sixth‑seeded Daria Kasatkina 6‑3, 7‑6 (9‑7).
AFP.
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