At the Qatar Open in Doha, top seed Aryna Sabalenka and third seed Coco Gauff were eliminated in the second round. Sabalenka lost to Ekaterina Alexandrova, while Gauff was ousted by Marta Kostyuk. Other seeds, like Jessica Pegula, advanced, while some faced surprising defeats, making the tournament highly competitive.
In a surprising turn of events at the Qatar Open in Doha, top seed Aryna Sabalenka and third seed Coco Gauff were eliminated in the second round. Ekaterina Alexandrova from Russia staged a comeback to defeat Sabalenka with scores of 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-5), while Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk took advantage of Gauff’s unforced errors to win 6-2, 7-5.
The match between Sabalenka and Alexandrova showcased their budding rivalry, with Sabalenka having a historical edge in their encounters. After trading sets, Sabalenka led in the third but faltered despite a strong position. Notably, she won only 58% of her first serve points and missed all six serve opportunities in the tiebreak.
Kostyuk, an unseeded player, capitalized on Gauff’s mistakes, including seven double faults. Gauff had a chance to extend the match into a tiebreak but surrendered two match points due to consecutive faults. This defeat marks Gauff’s third straight loss at this venue, having struggled in past tournaments here.
On a positive note for American players, sixth seed Jessica Pegula triumphed over Elina Svitolina with a 6-3, 7-6 (7-3) victory. Other seeds had mixed results, including Jasmine Paolini defeating Caroline Garcia and Elena Rybakina overcoming Peyton Stearns. Notably, Ons Jabeur convincingly beat seventh seed Qinwen Zheng.
The tournament witnessed other upsets as ninth seed Paula Badosa lost to Amanda Anisimova, and twelfth seed Mirra Andreeva was eliminated by Rebecca Sramkova. In a tight match, Jelena Ostapenko edged out sixteenth seed Liudmila Samsonova, who struggled with 10 double faults. Additionally, players like Elise Mertens and Daria Kasatkina also advanced, with Magda Linette engaging in a nearly three-hour match against compatriot Magdalena Frech.
The Qatar Open saw significant upsets with top seeds Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff both ousted in the second round. The tournament showcased fierce competition, highlighted by surprising victories and the emergence of less-seeded players. As the event progresses, the mix of established players and new challengers makes for an exciting continuation in Doha.
Original Source: www.dawn.com
