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Tennis: Poland’s Iga Świątek eases into Qatar Open final

17.02.2023 19:30
Poland’s Iga Świątek cruised past Russia's Veronika Kudermetova to reach the final of the Qatar Open tennis tournament in Doha on Friday.
Iga Świątek
Iga ŚwiątekPAP/EPA / Lucas Coch

The Polish world No. 1 dispatched the eighth-seeded Russian player 6-0, 6-1 in less than an hour to reach her first final of 2023.

The 21-year-old Pole will now face American Jessica Pegula on Saturday as she bids for her 12th career title.

Świątek, who is coached by countryman Tomasz Wiktorowski, is the defending champion at the Qatar Open. She last year defeated Anett Kontaveit of Estonia in the championship match.

The Polish star had an outstanding season in 2022, leading the way for finals reached, trophies won and matches won, according to the Women's Tennis Association (WTA).

Overall, Świątek won 67 matches last season, including a 37-match winning streak midway through the year, according to the wtatennis.com website.

The Pole in October won the San Diego Open tournament in the United States, claiming her 11th career singles title.

In September, she won the US Open, capturing her third Grand Slam trophy.

She was crowned champion at eight tournaments last year, including winning six events in a row.

In early April 2022, Świątek took over as the new world number one in women's tennis, becoming the first Pole to top the WTA rankings.

She now leads the world rankings with 10,485 points, ahead of Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, with 6,100 points, and Tunisia's Ons Jabeur, with 5,210. Pegula ranks fourth, with 5,000 points.

(gs)

Source: PAP, TVP, eurosport.comwtatennis.com