Clearly, Iga Swiatek likes Doha. Already a double title holder, the 22-year-old Pole has registered her name on the Qatari WTA 1000 list for the third time in a row. The world No. 1, who did not lose a single set all week, defeated Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina (7-6 [8], 6-2), Saturday in the final. After a delicate start to the season, with a defeat in the third round of the Australian Open, the boss of the women’s circuit is getting back on track.
Rybakina unrolls then collapses
Elena Rybakina, who had three successes against Swiatek (all in 2023), must still wonder how she could have lost the first set. The 4th in the world had it completely in hand, until an improbable incident. At 4-1, 30A, double break in her favor, she was slightly injured by involuntarily hitting her left shin with her racket while serving. The game was interrupted for several minutes, time for the doctor, called to the court, to disinfect the wound and apply a dressing.
Perhaps disturbed, in any case out of her match, Rybakina lost the next four games. She could still have gotten out of it since she served to win the set at 6-5. But, there again, she did not know how to conclude. On the break point, she didn’t press her smash enough and Swiatek punished her.
Wind gusts and unforced errors galore
Despite all these wasted opportunities, she still benefited from a set point in the tie-break, but Swiatek put her away with a superb backhand winner down the line at 7-6. A few moments later, the Pole pocketed, on her fourth occasion, an interminable round of 1h30.
Obviously morally affected, Rybakina, too often in danger behind her second balls (only 36% of points won), quickly gave in to her commitment in the second set, at 1-1. In hellish conditions, with permanent gusts of wind which caused their share of unforced errors (37 for Swiatek, 41 for Rybakina), Stefano Vukov’s player held on, in vain. His power, devastating at the start of the game, no longer had any effect on Swiatek who finished at the net, without trembling.