Swiatek fights back to reach Qatar Open quarter-finals / Photo: Karim JAAFAR - AFP
Swiatek fights back to reach Qatar Open quarter-finals
Iga Swiatek came from a set down to defeat Daria Kasatkina on Wednesday and keep her bid for a fourth Qatar Open title alive by reaching the quarter-finals.
The world number two recovered to beat Russian-born Australian Kasatkina 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 and set up a tie with Greece's Maria Sakkari.
Swiatek, who won the WTA 1000 tournament in 2022, 2023 and 2024, had breezed through her last six meetings with Kasatkina without dropping a set but blew a 5-3 lead to lose the opener.
She quickly regrouped, though, racing through the next two sets with six breaks of serve.
Swiatek remains on course for a possible rematch with Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina in the final after the Kazakh's win in their quarter-final clash at Melbourne Park last month.
Rybakina takes on China's Zheng Qinwen later Thursday.
Canada's Victoria Mboko won the battle of the teenagers by saving a match point to knock out fifth seed Mirra Andreeva in a deciding-set tie-break.
The 19-year-old Mboko saved the match point on the Andreeva serve late in the third set before sealing a 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7/5) success.
"I feel like I came out with some very clutch shots at the end," said Mboko, who could face Rybakina next.
"I think we both were pretty tired when it came to the tie-break. I think I felt like I was lucky enough to have some good shots in the great moments."
Jelena Ostapenko, last year's runner-up, saw off Colombian Camila Osorio 6-3, 6-1 to set up a last-eight tie with Elisabetta Cocciaretto.
Italian lucky loser Cocciaretto backed up her second-round win over Coco Gauff by beating Ann Li 7-6 (7/5), 5-7, 6-4.
Czech Karolina Muchova also reached the quarters when compatriot and former world number one Karolina Pliskova retired injured from their last-16 match when trailing 5-2 in the first set.
Sakkari defeated France's Varvara Gracheva 7-6 (7/3), 6-0 in the opening tie of the day.
L.Amato--IM
