Iga Swiatek dropped a set at the Qatar Open for the first time in three years, but she was still too good for Linda Noskova as she kept her hopes of a four-peat alive.

The Pole lifted the trophy in Doha the past two years and during the 2023 and 2024 editions she did so without losing a set. You had to go back to the second round in 2022 for the last time one of her matches went the distance as on that occasion she beat Viktorija Golubic in three sets.

Noskova became only the third player to take a set off Swiatek at the event with Svetlana Kuznetsova the other player in the three-person club and she remains the only woman to beat the Pole in Doha following her two-set second-round win in 2020.

There were no breaks of serve in the opening set, but the Czech dominated the tie-breaker before Swiatek broke twice in the second to take it to a decider, although Noskova also managed to get a break.

After trading breaks early on, Swiatek got the decisive one in game nine and then won 6-7 (1-7), 6-4, 6-4 on her second match point to make it 15 wins out of 16 matches in Doha.

It doesn’t get easier as Elena Rybakina is up next in a rematch of the 2024 final won by Swiatek.

“She likes playing here, she’s been in a final here last year, and last year also was tough. So I’ll be ready for some intense rallies, and some low balls, and good serving,” the world No 2 said.

The five-time Grand Slam winner also reached her 19th quarter-final at WTA 1000 events, which puts her second behind the great Serena Williams for the best percentage since 2009 at that level.

The WTA Tour, of course, only restructured its tournament level that year when it introduced the WTA Premier Mandatory / Premier 5 categories before renaming it WTA 1000 events in 2021.

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The 5 women with the highest WTA 1000 quarter-final appearance rate since 2009:

5. Agnieszka Radwanska – 52.5%

Former world No 2 Radwanska played in 92 WTA 1000 tournaments, but 80 of those came from 2009 onwards and she reached the quarter-final in just over half of the 80 (42 times).

The 2012 Wimbledon runner-up went to reach a WTA 1000 final eight times (seven from 2009 onwards), winning two titles at the China Open and one each at the Pan Pacific Open, Miami Open and Canadian Open.

4. Li Na – 53.7%

Li Na won only nine WTA singles titles, but two of them were Grand Slams as she lifted the 2011 French Open and 2014 Australian Open trophies.

She reached the quarter-final of WTA 1000 events 22 times from her 41 appearances from 2009 onwards, but won only one title (the 2012 Cincinnati Open) while she finished runner-up three times.

3. Maria Sharapova – 54%

Former world No 1 Maria Sharapova reached the quarter-final of a WTA 1000 event in 27 of her 50 appearances from 2009 and she won the title on eight occasions.

Six of her WTA 1000 trophies were before 2009 and the 14 titles put her fourth on the all-time list for most WTA 1000 trophies won.

The five-time Grand Slam winner won the Italian Open (x3), Pan Pacific Open (x2), Southern California (x2), Indian Wells (x2), Zurich Open, Qatar Open, Cincinnati Open, Madrid Open and China Open.

The eight titles that were won from 2009 were the Italian Open (x3), Pan Pacific, Cincinnati Open, Indian Wells Open, Madrid Open and China Open.

2. Iga Swiatek – 59.4%

Swiatek is already joint-sixth on the list for most WTA 1000 titles with 10 trophies from her 32 appearances at this level.

The Pole, who has lost only two WTA 1000 finals, has reached the quarter-final in 19 of her 32 tournaments with the 2025 Qatar Open the latest one.

Swiatek has won the Italian Open (x3), Qatar Open (x2), Indian Wells Open (x2), Miami Open, China Open and Madrid Open.

1. Serena Williams – 61.2%

The great Serena Williams is way out in front for most WTA 1000 titles won (23) and 13 of those were won from 2009 onwards after the restructuring of women’s tennis.

The 23-time Grand Slam winner featured in the main draw of 49 WTA 1000 tournaments from 2009 and reached the last eight on 32 occasions.

She is the only player with a 60% plus record for quarter-final appearances (well for now anyway) since 2009 and won the Miami Open (x3), Italian Open (x3) Canadian Open (x2), Madrid Open (x2), Cincinnati Open (x2) and China Open.