Qatar Open: Iga Swiatek enters final after Karolina Pliskova withdrawal

Iga Swiatek progressed to the final of the Qatar Open for the third straight year after Karolina Pliskova withdrew from their scheduled semifinal match on Friday due to a lower back injury.

The World No.1 is looking to become the first woman to win three straight titles at a single Hologic WTA Tour event since Serena Williams completed a hat trick at the Miami Open from 2013-15. She will face the winner of Friday’s other semifinal match between No. 3 seed Elena Rybakina and unseeded Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova for the title.

Pliskova had won her last nine matches prior to the withdrawal, having won her first title in four years last week at the WTA 250 in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. She defeated Anna Kalinskaya, Anastasia Potapova, Linda Noskova and Naomi Osaka this week. Her first three victories came in three sets, she defeated Naomi Osaka on Thursday handing the four-time Grand Slam winner a loss for the second time in four tournaments in her comeback from maternity leave so far.

“Sorry for the tournament that I had to withdraw, but unfortunately I had too many matches in last couple of days, and my body just didn’t react well, especially after last night having a tough match against Naomi,” Pliskova said.

“I felt like I was pushing it a little bit over limit, and then I felt very big pain in my lower back, so I’m not able to compete anymore.”

The walkover is not counted towards Swiatek’s official win-loss record against Pliskova or otherwise, nor does it end Pliskova’s unbeaten streak.