Swiatek beats Rybakina to clinch 3rd straight Qatar Open title

World No.1 Iga Swiatek of Poland clinched her first title of the season at the Qatar Open against third seed Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan 7-6(8), 6-2 on Saturday, improving her head-to-head record against the Wimbledon champion to 2-3.

Rybakina, though, still walks away with most wins of this season, having clinched two titles already in Brisbane and Abu Dhabi, level with Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia. Meanwhile, Swiatek becomes the first player since Serena Williams of the U.S. to win the same WTA event three years in a row, after Williams dominated the Miami Open from 2013 to 2015.

"I'm happy that I kept working and just didn't really think about too many stuff during this week and just focused on the right things, because I think it was the key," said Swiatek said, after improving her win-loss record in Doha to 13-1. "Coming here and being kind of the double-defending champion wasn't easy. So I'm happy that I have this experience already, and hopefully I'm going to use it."

Swiatek had to come back from a double-break in the opening set, after Rybakina led 4-1 and then accidentally cut her leg with her racquet for which she had to call for a medical time-out. Swiatek levelled 4-4, before the two took turns to break to drag the set into a tie-break, where she converted on her fourth set point, before she eased to victory in the next set. 

"I fought till the end," said Rybakina, who defeated Swiatek in all three of their encounters last year. "It's been a great last two weeks ... I didn't expect to see so much support. It really helps, especially when it's such tough matches, she added. "Congratulations to Iga for a great week."

Earlier on Saturday, Demi Schuurs of the Netherlands and Luisa Stefani of Brazil won the doubles title over unseeded Americans Caroline Dolehide and Desirae Krawczyk 6-4, 6-2.