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Match Details
Fixture: (1) Iga Swiatek vs (3) Elena Rybakina
Date: February 17, 2024
Tournament: Qatar TotalEnergies Open 2024
Round: Final
Venue: Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex, Doha
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt
Prize money: $3,211,715
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN
Iga Swiatek vs Elena Rybakina preview
Two-time defending champion Iga Swiatek will square off against World No. 4 Elena Rybakina in the final of the 2024 Qatar Open on Saturday.
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Following a first-round bye, Swiatek commenced her title defense with a resounding 6-1, 6-1 win over Sorana Cirstea. She knocked out 14th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova in the third round and defeated former World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka 6-4, 6-0 in the quarterfinals.
Swiatek was set to face Karolina Pliskova in the semifinals. The latter was on a nine-match winning streak, which started with a title at last week's Transylvania Open. Unfortunately, she had to withdraw from the tournament, and the defending champion advanced to her third straight final here via a walkover.
Rybakina received a bye into the second round, where she bested Zhu Lin 6-2, 6-1. She dug deep to score a 6-1, 6-7 (6), 6-4 win over 16th seed Emma Navarro in the third round. The Kazakh handed Leylah Fernandez a 6-4, 6-2 loss in the quarterfinals to make the last four here.
Rybakina faced 2021 French Open runner-up Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova for a spot in the championship round. The Kazakh was all over her opponent right off the bat and reeled off five consecutive games from 2-1 to take the first set.
Rybakina raced to a 5-1 lead in the second set but encountered some resistance from Pavlyuchenkova after that. The latter went on a three-game run to make it 5-4. The Kazakh nipped her opponent's comeback bid in the bud and closed out the match on her second try for a 6-2, 6-4 victory.
Iga Swiatek vs Elena Rybakina head-to-head
Rybakina leads Swiatek 3-1 in the head-to-head. The former won their previous encounter at the 2023 Italian Open following the latter's retirement in the third set.
Iga Swiatek vs Elena Rybakina odds
(Odds are sourced from Oddschecker)
Iga Swiatek vs Elena Rybakina prediction
The Qatar Open has transformed into Swiatek's fortress since 2022 when she won the title here for the first time. Since getting pushed to three sets in the second round by Viktorija Golubic that year, she hasn't lost more than four games per set, a streak that remains intact to this date.
After a disappointing third-round exit from the Australian Open, Swiatek has bounced back in style at one of her favorite hunting grounds. She has lost a total of just 11 games this week. However, she will now face her nemesis Rybakina for the title.
The Kazakh is in great form at the moment as she won the Abu Dhabi Open last week and is on an eight-match winning streak. She did look a little out of gas against Pavlyuchenkova in the semifinals and fatigue could bog her down in the next round.
Swiatek won the first match in this rivalry, but Rybakina has bested her thrice since then. They faced off three times last year, with the latter winning the first couple of matches on hardcourts in straight sets. Their last contest came to an end after the Pole's mid-match retirement.
Rybakina's reliable serve, coupled with her stinging returns have put Swiatek under tremendous pressure. The Kazakh is also unfazed by her opponent's topspin heavy shots and can counter it quite well.
Based on their rivalry, Rybakina has a clear edge. However, Swiatek is a different beast in finals as evidenced by her 17-4 record in title rounds, compared to her opponent's 7-9 record. Expect her to wrap up the tournament with a successful title defense.
Pick: Iga Swiatek to win in three sets.
