Rybakina, Swiatek set up Qatar Open final

Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan will face top seed Iga Swiatek of Poland in the Qatar Open final, after the third seed downed Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-2, 6-4, and Switaek enjoyed a walkover as Czech Karolina Pliskova withdrew due to a lower-back injury.

This would be the fifth encounter between the top seeds. Rybakina, who has won two titles already this year in Adelaide and Abu Dhabi, holds a 3-1 head-to-head record against the world No.1, after she improved her win-loss record this year to 15-2 after her semifinal clash on Friday.  

The Wimbledon champion was stronger at the key moments against Pavlyuchenkova, converting four of six break points while her unseeded opponent could only exploit one of the nine she had.

Rybakina broke Pavlyuchenkova in the fifth game of the opening set and broke again in the eighth. Pavlyuchenkova saved three set points in the next game but also squandered a break point of her own before succumbing.

Rybakina broke easily in the second-set opener before holding serve to take a sixth straight game. Pavlyuchenkova held to end that streak and then had six break points in the next game, but could take none of them, before she finally managed to convert her eighth break point as she came back from 30-0 down in the eighth game. She then held serve as Rybakina wobbled on her forehand.

With Rybakina serving for the match, Pavlyuchenkova had another break point but hit long. She saved one match point but Rybakina then produced an ace to seal victory.

Meanwhile, defending champion Switaek, who is on an 11-match winning streak, retains the chance to clinch her third straight Doha title, which will make her the first player to dominate an event three years in a row since Serena Williams accomplished a hat-trick at Miami from 2013 to 2015.  

(With input from AFP)