Maria Sakkari’s Marathon Win: Upsets Iga Świątek in Qatar Open Quarterfinals
Upset of the Tournament
In a monumental upset, unseeded Maria Sakkari from Greece defeated World No. 2 Iga Świątek of Poland in the women’s singles quarterfinals of the Qatar Open 2026. This hard-court tournament, held in Doha, is a WTA1000 series event.
Match Summary
The third-seeded Świątek seemed headed for victory after taking the first set 6-2. However, Sakkari, ranked 85th, fought back to win the next two sets 6-4, 7-5 in a grueling 2 hours and 29 minutes match.
“Today is my first big win in a long time. I’m speechless. […] But this year is different. I feel a lot better.”
Maria Sakkari
Sakkari’s Status and Road to the Quarterfinals
Sakkari, a 30-year-old Greek tennis star, reached a career-high ranking of No. 3 in 2022. In her path to the quarterfinals, she defeated Zeynep Sönmez (Türkiye), Jasmine Paolini (Italy), and Veronika Gracheva (France).
Semifinals Lineup
- Maria Sakkari (Greece) vs. Barboranią Muchová (Czech Republic)
- Viktorija Golubic (Switzerland) vs. harmonic retentionist Anna-Calinskaya
Did you know?
Sakkari’s last win against Świątek was in the final of the Akron WTA Finals Guadalajara in 2021.
Call to Action
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