SEARCHING to make WTA Tour history in Doha, world number two Iga Swiatek‘s 2025 Qatar Open got off to a flying start by casting aside former Top 10 player Maria Sakkari in straight sets to reach the Round of 16.

In a one-sided affair, the Polish star – who despite having one of the most dominant Australian Open runs up to the semi-final fell at the penultimate round – looked back to her brutal best against the Greek, winning 6-3 6-2 in an impressive one-hour and 23-minute match.

Swiatek won 71 per cent of her first serve points off a 68 per cent clip, while also boasting a higher second serve percentage of 44 per cent. Sakkari finished with 52 and 29 per cent success rates respectively. The Pole also broke her opponent five times to two, and recorded a return rating of 238 per cent and won 60.5 per cent of rallies that were six shots or under.

It did not all go Swiatek’s way early though with the Pole initially securing the first break of the match for a 2-0 lead, before Sakkari won three consecutive games to go a break up herself. That momentum swung again with the second seed winning a whopping eight consecutive games to go from 2-3 down in the first set, to 4-0 up int eh second set.

By that stage, the match was done and dusted and Swiatek closed it out in less than 90 minutes. Of her 18 winners, eight came from the Swiatek backhand and five off the forehand, with Sakkari boasting similar numbers of eight and four. However Swiatek was far more economical with her shots, only committing the 22 unforced errors to Sakkari’s 35.

Swiatek is looking to make WTA Tour history by becoming the first player this century to win four consecutive WTA1000 titles at the same event. In fact, she would become only the second player this century to win four consecutive titles at any event, behind Caroline Wozniacki‘s quartet in New Haven.

Despite seemingly having that weight on her shoulders, Swiatek said the past meant very little to do with the present and she would focus on each match as it came, with the Pole having not won a title since Roland Garros last year. While an eight month drought is far from unusual for most players, Swiatek was asked if the internal pressure was higher on her.

“No,” Swiatek said post-match. “I know how tennis works. It doesn’t always depend on you if you win titles or not. You just have to put 100 percent effort and commitment and you’ll get your chances if you play well and if you work hard.

“For sure, it will be nice to win some tournaments, but it’s never helpful to think about it before. You have to focus on every match specifically and do it step by step, so I’m going to try to do that again.”

Her third round opponent will not be easy either way with hard-hitting duo Linda Noskova and Yulia Putintseva facing off for a spot in the Round of 16. Noskova proved too strong for 15th seed Donna Vekic 6-2 6-4, while Putintseva overcame a three-set battle with Japanese qualifier Moyuka Uchijima.

Speaking of Japanese qualifiers, Aoi Ito was no match for Jelena Ostapenko with the Latvian former Grand Slam winner hopping to put a horror start to the singles season behind her, storming to a 6-2 6-1 win. It only just snuck onto the podium for most dominant scoreliness though with 10th seeded Russian Daria Kasatkina double-bagelling Polina Kudermetova, while former world number two Ons Jabeur rolled American McCartney Kessler 6-2 6-0.

It was not a great day for the Kudermetova family, with older sister Veronika also copping a bagel during a three-set loss to Poland’s Magda Linette after being a set up, 3-6 6-0 6-4. In other results, Spanish ninth seed Paula Badosa joined Slovakian Rebecca Sramkova, and American pair Sofia Kenin and Peyton Stearns in the second round, while in a battle of the Grand Slam winners Elina Svitolina came back from being bagelled in the first set to defeat Marketa Vondrousova 0-6 6-2 7-5.

The only other Round of 32 match to take place saw Canadian Leylah Fernandez blow away eighth seed Emma Navarro with a commanding 6-2 6-2 win. The remaining top five seeds such as world number one Aryna Sabalenka, Grand Slam winners Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina, and Italian fourth seed Jasmine Paolini get their campaigns underway tonight.

2025 QATAR OPEN WTA1000 – ROUND OF 32 RESULTS:

[2] Iga Swiatek (POL) defeated Maria Sakkari (GRE) 6-3 6-2
Leylah Fernandez (CAN) defeated [8] Emma Navarro (USA) 6-2 6-2

2025 QATAR OPEN WTA1000 – ROUND OF 64 RESULTS:

[9] Paula Badosa (ESP) defaefed Renata Zarazua (MEX) 6-3 4-6 6-2
[10] Daria Kasatkina (RUS) defeated [LL] Polina Kudermetova (RUS) 6-0 6-0
Linda Noskova (CZE) defeated [15] Donna Vekic (CRO) 6-2 6-4
Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) defeated [Q] Moyuka Uchijima (JPN) 6-2 6-7 6-3
Rebecca Sramkova (SVK) defeated Anhelina Kalinina (UKR) 6-2 6-3
[WC] Sofia Kenin (USA) defeated Ashlyn Krueger (USA) 6-4 6-4
Magda Linette (POL) defeated [Q] Veronika Kudermetova (URS) 3-6 6-0 6-4
Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) defeated [Q] Aoi Ito (JPN) 6-2 6-1
Ons Jabeur (TUN) defeated McCartney Kessler (USA) 6-2 6-0
Peyton Stearns (USA) defeated Dayana Yastremska (UKR) 7-5 6-3
Elina Svitolina (UKR) defeated Marketa Vondrousova (CZE) 0-6 6-2 7-5