Kasatkina Shines with Fast Victory at Qatar Open; Swiatek Advances

DOHA, Qatar — Daria Kasatkina delivered a stunning performance at the Qatar Open on Tuesday, defeating Polina Kudermetova with a decisive double bagel of 6-0, 6-0 in just 42 minutes. This victory marks one of the quickest matches recorded on the WTA Tour, a remarkable turnaround after her loss to Kudermetova just a month earlier in Brisbane.

Kasatkina’s match was notable not only for its speed but also for being her second 6-0, 6-0 victory, having previously achieved the same score against Lily Miyazaki at Wimbledon last summer. She is now the first player to win a main draw match at the Qatar Open with a score of 6-0, 6-0 since Donna Vekic accomplished the feat in 2016.

Historically, the fastest women’s match in tennis was the 1988 French Open final, where Steffi Graf faced Natasha Zvereva for only 34 minutes. In contrast, last year at the French Open, Iga Swiatek managed to advance to the quarter-finals by defeating Anastasia Potapova with a similar scoreline in just 40 minutes. Suzanne Lenglen holds the official record with a 23-minute win in the 1922 Wimbledon final.

“I remember exactly what happened a month ago,” Kasatkina said after her win. “I was trying to be really focused because as soon as you lose your focus, the match can change completely in the blink of an eye. Plus the conditions are really tricky here; it’s really windy.”

Meanwhile, second seed Iga Swiatek moved smoothly into the last 16, claiming a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Maria Sakkari. Reflecting on her performance, Swiatek noted, “From what I remember, it’s not like I’ve been playing flawlessly… but I was patient enough to keep focusing on my game.”

Swiatek is vying to become only the second woman this century to win the same tournament four consecutive times, following in the footsteps of Caroline Wozniacki, who won the New Haven title from 2008 to 2011. The Qatar TotalEnergies Open runs through February 15, serving as one of the premier events on the WTA Tour.

Fans can catch all the action from the ATP and WTA Tours on Sky Sports Tennis and other platforms available this season.