Tennis | Rybakina eases past Fernandez to reach Qatar Open semi-finals

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Tennis | Rybakina eases past Fernandez to reach Qatar Open semi-finals


Kazakstan’s Elena Rybakina waves after successful the match in opposition to Canada’s Leylah Fernandez throughout the Qatar Open quarter-final in Doha, Qatar.
| Photo Credit: AP

Third seed Elena Rybakina took time to get going however secured a 6-4 6-2 victory over Leylah Fernandez to reach the semi-finals of the Qatar Open on Thursday and keep on monitor for her third title of the season.

Rybakina, who has lifted the Brisbane and Abu Dhabi trophies this yr, dropped serve twice initially of the conflict however the 24-year-old stemmed the circulate of errors from her racket and gained 5 video games in a row from 4-1 down to declare the opening set.

Fernandez confirmed extra struggle within the second set, however the 2021 U.S. Open runner-up couldn’t stop former Wimbledon champion Rybakina from grabbing two extra breaks and powering to victory on the again of some huge hitting.

“It was a difficult match. I didn’t start the set well. It took me some time to get used to Leylah’s ball,” Rybakina stated after clinching a joint tour-leading 14th win of the season.

“She plays very different. Also a lefty. I’m really happy I managed to win the first one. After that, it was a bit easier to start the second.”

Kazakstan’s Elena Rybakina returns to Canada’s Leylah Fernandez during the Qatar Open quarter-final in Doha.

Kazakstan’s Elena Rybakina returns to Canada’s Leylah Fernandez throughout the Qatar Open quarter-final in Doha.
| Photo Credit:
AP

Up subsequent for the Moscow-born Kazakh is a conflict with Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova after the unseeded Russian reached the Doha semi-finals for the primary time following a 7-5 6-4 win over American qualifier Danielle Collins.

“Hopefully it’s going to be a great match to see. We know each other very well on the court and off the court. Hopefully I can recover and show some good tennis,” Rybakina added.

The top-ranked Iga Swiatek performs double Grand Slam champion Victoria Azarenka in one other quarter-final on Centre Court afterward Thursday, earlier than Naomi Osaka takes on Karolina Pliskova in a conflict between former world quantity ones.



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