Maria Sakkari produced a stirring comeback to defeat world No. 2 Iga Swiatek 2–6, 6–4, 7–5 in the quarter-finals of the Qatar TotalEnergies Open, ending a four-match losing run against the Polish star.
Swiatek had never previously lost a WTA 1000 match after taking the first set, arriving in Doha with a 109–0 record in that scenario. But Sakkari, currently ranked 52 as she rebuilds her career, refused to be overawed.
“You’re always the underdog with playing against the No. 2 in the world, especially where I’m coming from,” she said.
“But I kept telling myself, even after the first set, that I was playing good tennis, and that I had to stick to my game plan and the way I was playing. I was aggressive, I was brave, and it worked out really well.”
The contest was not without drama. Serving for the match in the deciding set, Sakkari used the video review system to confirm a double bounce on a Swiatek return – a call she later defended.
“It’s great that we have it, because imagine if we didn’t have it today,” she said. “They’re not, you know, robots, they’re human beings… It’s the first time I’ve used it, and I’m happy that it exists.”
Swiatek broke back and forced the set level at 5–5, but Sakkari regained her composure to seal victory with a late break.
“It’s very normal, actually, to get a little bit tight and a little bit stressed… especially when I haven’t witnessed those moments in a long time,” Sakkari admitted.
“I’m just very happy that I managed to overcome myself in those last two games and come up with some great tennis, and some brave tennis, I would say.”
The win sends Sakkari into her first WTA 1000 semi-final since 2024 and marks one of the most significant victories of her recent resurgence.
She will now face either Karolina Muchová or Anna Kalinskaya in the semi-finals.
Source: tennis.com
