Iga Swiatek has once again failed to beat Jelena Ostapenko as the Latvian annihilated the five-time Grand Slam champion 6-3 6-1 in the semifinal of the WTA 1000 tournament in Doha.
Going into the match, the world No. 2 had zero wins and four losses against the current world No. 37.
And once again, the 2017 French Open champion proved to be an extremely tricky and challenging matchup for the former world No. 1.
Right from the start of the match, it was evident that Swiatek would again struggle against Ostapenko after the Latvian claimed a break in the first game of the match.
Leading 5-3, the 27-year-old earned her second break to seal the first set.
After clinching the opener, the Latvian also started the second set with back-to-back breaks and a 4-0 lead.
Down by a set and two breaks, Swiatek managed to get one break back in the fifth game.
But Ostapenko remained unfazed, collecting another break in the sixth game for a 5-1 lead before serving out for the match in the following game.
The Latvian, who now owns a dominant 5-0 head-to-head against the Pole, will play against the winner of the match between Amanda Anisimova and Ekaterina Alexandrova for the Doha title.
What Swiatek before the Ostapenko match?
When asked about facing one of her trickiest rivals, the Pole said before the match that she had nothing to lose.
“Βecause of the head-to-head, I can kind of play without expectations and just focus on work, maybe try to change something so I can finally win,” the world No. 2 said, via Vicky Geogatou.
“She’s a tough opponent and she has played amazing against me. I’ll just have another chance and I’ll try to use it.”
It should be noted that three of Ostapenko’s wins against Swiatek have come since 2022, the year when the Pole became one of the best in the world.
Tennis World USA