WATCH: Controversial scenes as Iga Swiatek throws her racket in frustration during Qatar Open SF loss; opponent Jelena Ostapenko sends amused reaction

Jelena Ostapenko stormed into the Qatar Open final with a hugely impressive 6-3, 6-1 win over defending champion Iga Swiatek. So dominant was Ostapenko that the World No. 2 smashed her racket into the ground after dropping to 3-0 in the second set.

Immediately after the incident, the cameras caught Ostapenko shooting a wry smile in the direction of her opponent, who was slumped in her chair. To that point in the match, the Latvian had effectively broken Swiatek's spirit. She'd not trailed at any point in the contest, broke serve five times, and at one point reeled off six consecutive games. It was Swiatek's first loss in Doha for five years.

You can watch a video of the incident below (via @TheTennisLetter on X):

The Qatar semifinal was the fifth time that Ostapenko and Swiatek had met on a tennis court, and the result confirmed the Latvian's thorough dominance of her higher-rated opponent. They first met in 2019, with Ostapenko winning 6-0, 6-2; then she won again at Indian Wells in 2021, again in straight sets. They met in Dubai in 2022, with Ostapenko needing three sets to prevail.

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Jelena Ostapenko is a Major winner with an impressive record on tour

Jelena Ostapenko at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open - Day Six - Source: Getty

Their highest-level meeting before this year's Qatar semifinal was at the US Open in 2023, where Jelena Ostapenko won 3-6, 6-3, 6-1. There appears to be little love lost between the two players, and in her post-match interview, Ostapenko may have fueled their rivalry further when she suggested she has Iga Swaitek's number.

"I was pretty confident that I would beat her, because we've played a lot of matches and I know how to play against her. I was more focusing on myself and what I had to do. I'm happy with the way I'm handling my emotions this week," Jelena Ostapenko said.

There's no doubting Ostapenko's pedigree. She's a Major winner - the 2017 French Open - and a Wimbledon semifinalist in 2018. She's currently the WTA's 37th-ranked player in the world and has won eight WTA Tour-level singles and 10 doubles titles.

She has scythed through her opposition at this year's Qatar Open and is yet to lose a set. She's beaten Ao Ito 6-2, 6-1; Liudmila Samsonova 7-6(5), 7-5; Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-2; and Ons Jabeur 6-2, 6-2 in the quarterfinals. Now having dispatched the World No. 2 so convincingly in the penultimate match, she'll be looking forward to facing either Alexandrova or Anisimova, both unseeded, in the final.