Iga Swiatek achieves another WTA milestone at Qatar Open, surpassing Maria Sharapova

Polish tennis star Iga Swiatek continues to add records to her already impressive resume, as the three-time Qatar Open champion moves one step closer to successfully defending her title.

The former World No.1 defeated rival Elena Rybakina in straight sets during their quarterfinal encounter on Thursday. In a rematch from last year's final, Swiatek wrestled control from her Kazakh opponent, recording a smooth 6-2 7-5 victory to advance to the final four.

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Swiatek reaches the century mark in wins at WTA 1000 events

The 23-year old has accomplished numerous feats at such a young age, and adds another distinguished record to her growing list of achievements. Swiatek's victory over Rybakina was her 100th victory at WTA events, with the win coming in just 121 matches at that level.

WTA 1000 matches were introduced to the tour in 2009, and tennis legend Serena Williams sits at the top of the list of players who quickly recorded 100 wins. The American recorded her 100th win at WTA 1000 events after only 115 matches, a record that likely won't be broken. However, Swiatek fell just six matches shy of Williams' feat, incredibly impressive considering the amount of time she's spent on tour.

Swiatek surpasses Russian tennis great Maria Sharapova, who required 123 matches to score 100 wins at WTA 1000 events. Rounding out the top five are two-time Grand Slam champion Victoria Azarenka and former World No.2 Agnieszka Radwanska, who played 126 and 138 matches respectively before recording their 100th wins at WTA 1000 events.

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