Two-time defending champion Iga Swiatek advanced to the final at the Qatar Total Energies Open after Karolina Pliskova withdrew from their semifinal due to a lower back injury.
Pliskova had won her last nine matches before her withdrawal from the Doha final. She won her first title in four years in Cluj Napoca last week. The Czech player beat Anna Kalinskaya, Anastasia Potapova, Linda Noskova and Naomi Osaka this week en route to the semifinal.
Swiatek has extended her winning streak to 11 consecutive matches in Doha. The Polish player has a win-loss record of 12-1 at this tournament. She lost her only match at this tournament against Svetlana Kutznetsova in the second round in 2020.
Swiatek is aiming to become the first player to win three consecutive titles at a single WTA Tournament since Serena Williams completed a hat-trick in 2013, 2014 and 2015.
Swiatek will take on 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, who beat Anastasya Pavlyuchenkova 6-2 6-4.
Rybakina broke Pavlyuchenkova twice in the first set to win the first set 6-2. The Kazakh saved five break points in a nine-deuce service game to hold serve in the fourth game for 3-1. Pavlyuchenkova reeled off three consecutive games to claw her way back to 4-5 and earned a break point to level to 5-5, but Rybakina saved it with a crosscourt forehand before sealing the win with her third ace.
Rybakina leads 3-1 in her four head-to-head matches. Swiatek beat Rybakina 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 in the quarter finals in Ostrava in 2021. Rybakina beat her Polish rival in the fourth round at the Australian Open and in the Indian Wells semifinals in 2023. Swiatek retired due to a thigh injury in the Rome quarter final.
