One year ago, Iga Swiatek’s victory at the Qatar Open marked the start of a triumphant four-month run that yielded six titles and 37 straight wins. It is an awful lot to live up to and, while others may view that stellar period as a touchstone, Swiatek has sensibly sought to lower expectations, casting her return to Doha as the start of a new chapter. But while the Polish world No 1 has insisted that perfection is impossible, and that she cannot expect to win every tournament she enters, her actions have belied her words; if anything, she has outdone herself.
Swiatek has been in imperious form this week, and she advanced to her first final of the year in emphatic style, racing to a second successive 6-0, 6-1 victory as Veronika Kudermetova, the Russian world No 11, proved no more capable than Danielle Collins, the former Australian Open finalist, of detaining the top seed beyond the hour mark.
After receiving a walkover against Belinda Bencic, who withdrew from the quarter-finals with fatigue, Swiatek will face Jessica Pegula on Saturday having dropped just two games, and with a mere one hour and 49 minutes of tennis under her belt. It is safe to assume fatigue will not be an issue.
“The numbers speak for themselves,” said Swatek, who smoked 14 winners and never faced a break point. “I didn’t spend a lot of time on the matches here.
“But on the other hand, I had really solid practices before the tournament, and after Australia I had a small [training] block, I would say it was like a finish of the pre-season. So I know what I feel on my racket, and I don’t feel like I need more time on the court.”
That much was evident as Kudermetova, forced back by the weight and whirring topspin of her opponent’s relentless baseline onslaught, was rapidly reduced to a demoralised and forlorn figure. Outstanding against Coco Gauff in the previous round, the Russian spent most of the contest scampering in vain from one corner to the other, her attacking instincts stifled by the Pole’s relentless quality and focus. An accomplished doubles player who has reached the semi-finals or better at three of the four majors, Kudermetova was rarely allowed the opportunity to get forward and almost invariably found herself skewered by a searing passing shot on the rare occasions when she did.
Swiatek’s composed and consistent performance was all the more remarkable in the face of the swirling breeze that once again bedevilled the Khalifa complex, which Pegula described as “probably the toughest windy conditions I’ve ever had to play in”.
“I was pretty worried about how I was going to compete with the conditions today, so I’m glad that I could really play the smart way and I’m pretty happy that I was so solid,” said Swiatek.
The Pole will now have the opportunity to avenge last month’s tearful United Cup defeat to Pegula, whose 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 win over Maria Sakkari in a minute under two hours afforded a pointed contrast with her opponent’s more expeditious progress. Pegula, whose four defeats to Swiatek last year included quarter-final losses at Roland Garros and the the US Open, knows she will have her work cut out.
“It seems like she’s playing very well right now, considering the score-lines she’s had this tournament,” said Pegula. “Obviously she won it last year, so she’s very comfortable on these courts.
“I have a game plan, it’s just how well I’m able to execute it. I’m sure she’s playing at a very high level, so I’m just going to have to take my chances and hope that I can execute at the right moments.”
After saving match points in her opener against Jelena Ostapenko and surviving another marathon against Sakkari, Pegula is certainly the more match tight of the two. Whether she will be able to keep Swiatek on court long enough to make that advantage tell is another matter.