Tennis’ world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka dumped out of Qatar Open
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Belarusia's Aryna Sabalenka returns the ball to Russia's Ekaterina Alexandrova during their 2025 WTA Qatar Open match.
PHOTO: AFP
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DOHA – World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka was hailed as a “fighter” even as she suffered a shock defeat in the second round of the Qatar Open on Feb 11.
The Belarusian was thwarted by Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) in a tense encounter lasting over 2½ hours. It was her first match since losing the Australian Open final to Madison Keys in January.
“It was a very difficult match to play against her, because she’s a fighter and she plays every single point, no matter what. I told myself before the match that you just need to do the maximum you can do tonight, and if you lose, you know that you’ve tried everything,” Alexandrova said post-match.
The 26th-ranked Russian turned up in Doha in good form after claiming her fifth WTA title in Linz on Feb 2. She picked herself up after going one set down to level proceedings in the second – but not before an unscheduled appearance by an inquisitive four-legged feline spectator.
With the score at 2-2, 40-30 to Sabalenka, a cat nonchalantly took centre stage, inspecting proceedings courtside before sauntering off via the players’ entrance. Alexandrova shrugged off the interruption to level the match, then held her nerve to force the deciding set to a tiebreak, which she took 7-5.
Sabalenka was back competing at the Qatar Open for the first time since 2022, having won the 2020 title in what is the first WTA 1000 event of the season. Alexandrova went on to beat Belgian Elise Mertens 6-4, 6-2 in the last 16 on Feb 12.
Also dumped out was Coco Gauff, who lost in straight sets to Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk.
The former US Open champion blew a healthy advantage in the second set as Kostyuk sealed a 6-2, 7-5 victory.
Coco Gauff of the USA returns the ball to Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine during their 2025 WTA Qatar Open match on Feb 11.
PHOTO: AFP
“Coco is an incredible fighter,” said Kostyuk, who went on to defeat Poland’s Magda Linette 6-4, 6-2 in the round of 16. “We always have incredible matches. I tried to stick to what I had to do.”
Gauff, playing for the first time since an Australian Open quarter-final loss to Paula Badosa, had seven double faults and made 39 unforced errors in an erratic display.
Former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, meanwhile, saw off Peyton Stearns 6-2, 6-4 in her opening match.
The Kazakh star, who lost to eventual winner Belinda Bencic in the Abu Dhabi semi-finals last week, followed up on Feb 12 with a 7-6 (7-1), 6-2 last-16 win over Slovakia’s Rebecca Sramkova to reach the quarter-finals.
Chinese seventh seed Zheng Qinwen joined Gauff in crashing out, though, beaten 6-4, 6-2 by Ons Jabeur. The Tunisian next faced 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, with the result unavailable at press time.
Jasmine Paolini, the 2024 French Open and Wimbledon runner-up, also made a winning start to her campaign with a 6-3, 6-4 victory against Caroline Garcia in the second round, but lost 6-2, 6-2 to Jelena Ostapenko on Feb 12.
American sixth seed Jessica Pegula negotiated a tricky second-round match, battling past Elina Svitolina 6-3, 7-6 (7-3) on Feb 11, before then seeing off Daria Kasatkina 6-3, 7-5 on Feb 12. However, ninth seed Badosa lost in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, to Amanda Anisimova.
World No. 2 and three-time defending champion Iga Swiatek advanced to the quarter-finals after defeating Czech youngster Linda Noskova 6-7 (1-7), 6-4, 6-4. AFP
