Doha , 13 February (H.S.): The Qatar Open 2026 witnessed seismic upsets on Thursday as world No. 2 Iga Swiatek and Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina crashed out in the quarterfinals, with unseeded Maria Sakkari toppling the top seed 2-6, 6-4, 7-5 and 10th-seeded Canadian Victoria Mboko ousting Rybakina 7-5, 4-6, 6-4.

Sakkari staged a gritty comeback against three-time defending champion Swiatek (2022-2024), who dominated the first set with double breaks but faltered as Sakkari leveled in the second and clinched the decider—saving one match point before converting her third; post-match, Sakkari reflected, It's been a while since such a big win; slumping rankings shakes confidence, but it's part of the mental game. She next faces 14th seed Karolina Muchova, a 6-3, 6-4 victor over Russia's Anna Kalinskaya.

The 19-year-old Mboko showcased poise and power, breaking Rybakina thrice in the opener en route to semifinals against 2025 runner-up Jelena Ostapenko, who dispatched Italy's Elisabetta Cocciaretto 7-5, 6-4, ending Swiatek's reign abruptly after her strong start evaporated against Sakkari's resurgence.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar