Iga Swiatek, the world number one, recently expressed her feelings about facing Elena Rybakina ahead of the Qatar Open. Swiatek acknowledged the pressure and expectations surrounding her performance, especially considering her previous successes in Doha. She admitted to feeling stressed and emphasized the importance of taking things step by step. Despite the challenges, Swiatek managed to stay focused and ultimately secured her third consecutive Qatar Open title by defeating Rybakina in straight sets.The three-time defending champion kicked off her campaign by comfortably seeing off Maria Sakkari 6-3, 6-2 following which she faced Linda Noskova, a player who has caused the Pole troubles on many occasions. However, this time around, Swiatek kept her cool and impressively turned things around to score a 6-7(1), 6-4, 6-4 win to reach the final 8.Fifth seed Elena Rybakina decimated Peyton Stearns 6-2, 6-4 to claim a statement win following which she defeated Rebecca Srmakova 7-6(1), 6-2 to reach the quarterfinal. She has also been facing some struggles off the court as her Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina’s quarterfinal clash will be the eighth meeting between the two women. The two share one of the most prolific rivalries of the current generation, always delivering high-quality matches. It is the Kazakh who currently leads this rivalry 4-3.
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