Jelena Ostapenko in God Mode: Destroys Iga Swiatek to reach Qatar Open Final

Jelena Ostapenko pulled off a stunning upset, eliminating three-time defending champion Iga Swiatek in the Qatar Open semifinals with a dominant 6-3, 6-1 victory. The 27-year-old Latvian once again proved why she is Swiatek’s biggest nightmare, extending her unbeaten record against the world No. 2 to 5-0.

Swiatek had navigated a particularly tricky draw, facing opponents who knew how to trouble her and had beaten her before. Despite the challenges, the five-time Grand Slam champion overcame Sakkari, Noskova, and fifth seed Rybakina to reach the Doha semifinals for the fourth consecutive year.

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On the other hand, Ostapenko had been gaining momentum throughout the tournament, securing wins over 16th seed Samsonova, fourth seed Paolini, and Ons Jabeur. With a 4-0 head-to-head lead over Swiatek before this match, Ostapenko had already caused the Pole significant problems in the past.

The first set started in the best possible way for Ostapenko, as she won eight of the first nine points and looked much more focused than Swiatek, who struggled to find her rhythm. The 2017 French Open champion posted remarkable service stats, winning 73% of points on her first serve and 78% on her second, without offering Swiatek a single break point.

While Swiatek excels at stretching her opponents across the court, opening up angles with heavy, topspin shots, that strategy has proven ineffective against Ostapenko, one of the most aggressive players on the tour. The world No. 37 takes no precautions when going for her shots, even from uncomfortable positions. Ostapenko constantly went for winners from all angles, fearlessly striking down the lines—something that once again overwhelmed Swiatek. After a competitive opening set where Swiatek fought to keep up, 'Penko' secured another break to close it out 6-3.

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Ostapenko carried her momentum into the second set, securing an early break and pulling ahead once again. Winner after winner, she extended her lead with two consecutive breaks to go up 4-0. Swiatek managed to retrieve one break, but that was the only glimmer of hope for the Pole, whose level dipped even further in the second set—winning just 50% of her first-serve points and 33% on her second.

With this dominant performance, Ostapenko secures her spot in the Doha final, knocking out the tournament’s top favourite. She will find out her final opponent in a few hours when Ekaterina Alexandrova faces Amanda Anisimova.

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