Ostapenko defeats Muguruza for ninth successive win
Ostapenko defeats Muguruza for ninth successive win
Former French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko racked up her ninth successive win on Thursday by sweeping past fifth-seeded Garbine Muguruza 6-2, 6-2 to reach the Qatar WTA semi-finals.
It took 2016 Doha runner-up Ostapenko, who lifted the Dubai title last weekend, just 66 minutes to defeat Muguruza.
She will now face Anett Kontaveit for a place in the final after the Estonian fourth seed defeated Ons Jabeur of Tunisia 6-4, 6-1.
"Of course it's great to have so many matches winning, but the tournament is still not over. I hope I can keep winning here still in Doha," said Ostapenko, the 15th seed.
Polish seventh seed Iga Swiatek stunned top seed Aryna Sabalenka 6-2, 6-3 to also reach the semi-finals where she will take on Greek sixth seed Maria Sakkari who defeated US teenager Coco Gauff, 6-3, 6-3.
"This match is going to give me a lot of confidence," Swiatek said.
Swiatek and Sakkari have met three times, all in 2021, and Sakkari emerged the winner each time, including in the French Open quarter-finals where the Greek ended Swiatek's title defence.
A.Davidson--MC-UK
