It was a tale of two contrasting fates at the Qatar Open as No. 4 seed Jasmine Paolini endured a brutal beatdown, while No. 6 seed Jessica Pegula showcased her resilience to book a quarterfinal spot. Paolini, who enjoyed a breakout season last year with two Grand Slam final appearances, was left shell-shocked after a merciless 6-2, 6-2 dismantling at the hands of Jelena Ostapenko.
Meanwhile, Pegula found herself in a battle against 10th-seeded Daria Kasatkina but held firm to secure a 6-3, 7-5 victory and continue her push for the Doha title.
Ostapenko Leaves Paolini With No Answers
The clash between Ostapenko and Paolini was expected to be competitive, but the reality was a one-sided demolition. The world No. 37 took control early, shrugging off break-point pressure in the second game before flipping the match on its head. She reeled off five consecutive games, surging to a commanding 5-1 lead before closing out the first set in just eight games.
Paolini briefly showed signs of life in the second set, jumping to a 2-0 lead. But any hope of a resurgence was quickly extinguished. Ostapenko responded with an unforgiving streak, winning six straight games to complete a dominant straight-sets victory.
The Latvian is no stranger to Doha’s big stage. A former runner-up in 2016 and a semifinalist in 2022, she thrives in these conditions.
“I feel very special playing in Doha because I feel this is the place where everything started for me,” Ostapenko said during her on-court interview, reminiscing about her breakthrough in Qatar years ago.
Now, she awaits the winner of the Ons Jabeur vs. Sofia Kenin match for a spot in the semifinals.
Pegula Battles Past Kasatkina in a Momentum Swinger
On the other side of the draw, Jessica Pegula faced a tricky challenge against the crafty Daria Kasatkina but showed her class to navigate the Russian’s resistance.
The American grabbed the opening set with decisive breaks in the fifth and ninth games. She then raced to a commanding 3-1 lead in the second set, seemingly on cruise control.
But Kasatkina had other ideas. She launched a fierce comeback, winning four straight games to snatch a 5-3 lead, flipping the pressure back onto Pegula.
However, the world No. 6 refused to let the match slip away. Digging deep, Pegula stormed back with her own four-game blitz to wrap up the contest in straight sets, preventing Kasatkina from forcing a decider.
What’s Next?
Pegula will now face the winner of Ekaterina Alexandrova vs. Elise Mertens in the quarterfinals, while Ostapenko remains a dark horse for the title, eagerly awaiting her next opponent.
As the tournament intensifies, one thing is clear—Ostapenko’s power and Pegula’s grit are making waves in Doha, and they’re not done yet.
