Qatar Total Energies Open. WTA 1000

[MargaretMcAleer]

Rybakina breaks and converts in the 3rd set, top draw serving from Rybakina, really has lifted her game, still remains 'calm cool and collected' regardless of the score line
Rybakina leads 4-2 3rd set
Mboko with a quick service game, she is not going away in this match
Rybakina 4-3
Poor contact off the racket from Rybakina and Mboko breaks, Mboko and her mentality for someone so young is impressive
4 all 3rd set
Mboko holds and leads 5-4 could we see an upset? as Vicky refuses to go away, Rybakina did have a 4-2 lead in the 3rd set
What a lob from Mboko! she has love 30 on Rybakina;' serve
Mboko with 3 MPS
Rybakina saves 2 BPs, Rybakina last shot just clipped the line
Rybakina saves all 3 MPs back to deuce
Mboko with her 4 MP and Rybakina shot found the net
Mboko night at Doha she has defeated Rybakina for the 2nd time , 75 46 64
Well done 19 yo Mboko into her 2nd WTA100 SF
Mboko will play Ostapenko in the SF

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

BTW,
Mboko will be a Top Ten player unless she losses SF and Muchova wins Doha, she was ranked #333 at the start of 2025
If Rybakina made the final in Doha she could have gone to No 2 in the WTA rankings a career high for Rybakina

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

One of my favorite players on the tour Muchova wins the 1st set 63 over Kalinskaya, she is a player that can disrupt a hard hitting player with all the variety in her game

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Kalinskaya with her 'high risk game' still hasnt learnt to play 'percentage tennis'
Muchova wins the last 4 games, broke her to love and will now serve for the match 5-4 and a place in the SFs
Muchova defeats Kalinskaya 63 64 and hasnt lost a set all week to secure a place in the SF
Well done Muchova!
Muchova will play Sakkari in the SF tomorrow

 

[britbox]

That doesn't reflect well on Iga. You know when it's a double bounce.

 

[britbox]

Quarter Final Video Highlights

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Order of Play,
Semi Finals,
Friday 13th February,

V.Mboko (10) vs J.Ostapenko First Meeting
K.Muchova (14) vs M.Sakkari Muchova leads their H2H 4-1, most recent match 2023 Cinncy Muchova won in 3 sets

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Ladies 1st SF has just started
Mboko v Ostapenko
Osta has started like a 'house on fire' broke Vicky and has just converted the break, as we have seen in the past Osta can go off and start to become a UFE machine, Vicky just has to 'weather the storm' at present
Vicky on the score board
Osta leads 2-1, Vicky also has to watch her serve, especially her 2nd serve as Osta will pounce
Vicky breaks back on serve 2 all
Osta misses a bhand swing volley and Mboko breaks and will serve for the 1st set 5-3
SP for Vicky, making Osta move around the court good thinking, you turn around your game well done, playing smart tennis, Osta making too many ufe in the 1st set 12
Mboko wins the 1st set 63

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Vicky breaks Osta to start the 2nd set and has just consolidated the break
Vicky leads 2-0
Osta DFs and hands her service game to Vicky, UFE are mounting for Osta, her game is 'Hit Big Or Go Home"
Mboko leads 3-0
Mboko consolidates and leads 4-0 I cant see Osta coming back, Mboko is a very focused young woman and rarely shows any emotion on court
Help Me as we have seen soo many times in the past with Osta she dosent believe in margins and Mboko breaks
Mboko will serve for the match 5-0 and a place in the final
Out of no where Osta decides to watch her margins and broke Vicky serving for the match,
Mboko will now have a second chance to serve for the match 5-2
Osta playing out of her 'mind' at present deuce
MP for Vicky great 1st serve
Congrats to Mboko reaches her 2nd WTA1000 final defeats Ostapenko 63 62, she awaits the winner in the 2nd SF Muchova v Sakkari
BTW,
Ostapenko is in the SF with her partner Hsieh, so not a bad tournament for Ostapenko

 

[Hoergren]

What a firecracker Mboko is and a nice one too - well deserved win over Ostapenko. With a win in the final she will be inside the top 10 - well that's nice isn't it?

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

2nd SF
Muchova v Sakkari on court and warming up
Sakkari won the toss and will serve,

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

What a firecracker Mboko is and a nice one too - well deserved win over Ostapenko. With a win in the final she will be inside the top 10 - well that's nice isn't it?
View attachment 10589

Mboko is in the Top Ten now after she defeated Osta, we now have 2 teenagers in the Top Ten, Mboko and Andreeva, for the first time since 2009

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

BTW,
Vicky Mboko becomes the first teenager to reach the Doha final since Ostapenko in 2016, who she just beat in the SF.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Goodness me Sakkari with a Djoko smash at the net?
Unusual ufe coming into Muchova's game 9 ufe so far
Sakkari gets the break back
2 games all 1st set
Sakkari saving 4 BPs tough hold and leads 4 - 3 1st set
Sakkari with 3 BPs and she breaks to love, Muchova with too many ufe in her service game
Sakkari will serve for the 1st set 5-3
Well done Maria taking the 1st set with a love service game 6-3
Muchova with 16 UFE to 8 winners in that 1st set, needs to address her UFE count in the 2nd set, this was the 1st set Muchova has lost all tournament.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Sakkari carrying all the momentum from the 1st set breaks Muchova in her opening service game, a lovely bhand winner down the line
Sakkari consolidates her break and leads 2-0
Muchova with 2 BPs and then Sakkari gives her the break back with a DF
Has Muchova stop the rot? back on serve 2 games all.
Muchova holds and on serve 3-2
Muchova with 2 BPs as Sakkari's fhand goes long
Sakkari saves 1 BPs with good defense
Muchova breaks and has turn around this match, Sakkari's fhand has gone AWOL at present
Muchova leads 4-2
Muchova leads 5-2
Muchova will now serve for the 2nd set 5-3 to force a deciding set
Poor service game from Muchova and Sakkari breaks Muchova serving for the 2nd set, just as Muchova was looking strong
On serve in the 2nd set 4-5 and Sakkari to serve
Muchova with 3 SP as Sakkari is pushing her shots wide and long
Drop shot from Muchova netted
Sakkari fhand wide
Muchova wins the 2nd set 64 and we are going 3 sets

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

At full stretch Muchova with a fhand winner down the line, Muchova breaks, good return game
Muchova leads 2-0 and is serving
Muchova 3-0
Sakkari is just unraveling in the final set, Muchova breaks with a cross court fhand winner
Muchova leads 4-0
Muchova with a fhand swinging volley seals her service game and leads 5-0 final set
Love watching Muckova net play she has soo much court awareness and know where to move to the shot
Muchova with a MP, this really has been a one sided 3rd set
Sakkari says not yet back to deuce and she has a bhand winner
Sakkari finally on the board and will make Muchova serve out the match at 5-1
Great angle from Muchova right on the line
Muchova with 3 MPs
Muchova d Sakkari 46 63 61 and will play Mboko in the final
Well done Muchova coming back from down a set to make the final and now extends her H2H against Sakkari 5-1

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

BTW,
When the new rankings come out on Monday we will have 2 teenagers in the Top Ten Mboko and Andreeva first time since July 2009 when the 2 teenagers who were ranked in the Top Ten were Azarenka and Wozniacki

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Ostapenko may have lost her SF match to Mboko, Osta and her doubles partner Hsieh have upset the No 1 doubles team Errani/Paolini 75 36 10-6 to play the No 4 seeds Danilina/Krunic in the Ladies Doubles Final tomorrow

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Ladies Finals Day,
Saturday 14th February ( Valentines Day, yes I am a romantic at heart, hey I am Italian it is in my DNA

Ladies Doubles Final,
The AO finalist doubles pair and 4th seed Krunic/Danilina vs Ostapenko/Hsieh No 3 seeds and current Brisbane champions. I love watching Hsieh she has to be one of my all time favorite doubles player, such finesse at the net, and a great understanding of the doubles court, Hsieh turned 40 in January and has multiple titles and GS titles in doubles just a joy to watch, Hsieh has 36 WTA titles, 7 GS doubles titles and won 2024 Mixed Doubles titles at the AO and Wimbledon

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Ladies Singles Final,
Saturday 14th February,

Who would have thought one year ago at the beginning of 2025, a young Canadian player, Victoria Mboko who was ranked No 333 in the world, would be into her 2nd WTA1000 final, she won her home town WTA1000 in Montreal in 2025. Mboko who defeated Ostapenko in straight sets in the semi final earned a Top Ten ranking, just crazy when you think about what she has achieved in 1 year and she is still rising as a player.
Mboko has raw natural power and great mental fortitude, also has the ability to generate high levels of power both from the baseline and has a formidable serve.

Karolina Muchova enters her 7th final at a WTA tour event and her 3rd WTA1000 final, but is seeking just her 2nd title, her first came at the Korean Open in 2019. Sad to say injuries have kept Karolina out of competition for long periods of time. Karolina has lost just one set en route to the final, when she came back from a set down to defeat Sakkari in her semi final.
Karolina Muchova is regarded as one of the most versatile and talented players on the tour, having an all court game.Muchova has variety, touch and high level of athleticism, than relying soley on raw power, often utilizing serve and volley tactics to disrupt opponents and superb net instincts.

This will be both players first meeting and a match of contrasts.

Good luck to both ladies!