Karolina Pliskova dumped out of Qatar Open by the ever-improving Ons Jabeur

WTA Tour

Michael Graham
February 27, 2020

Ons Jabeur’s fine 2020 continued as she upset third seed Karolina Pliskova in the round of 16 at the Qatar Open in Doha.

The 25-year-old Tunisian stunned the Czech by winning the first set and although Pliskova fought back to take the match to a decider, it was Jabeur who went through to the last eight, where she will meet Petra Kvitova, with a 6-4 3-6 6-3 victory.

There was no such difficulty for fourth seed Belinda Bencic as she progressed courtesy of a straight sets victory over Yulia Putintseva.

The 22-year-old Swiss showed no ill-effects from her gruelling three-set encounter with Veronika Kudermetova in the last 32 as she eased to a 6-4 6-3 win.

She will face world number 46 Svetlana Kuznetsova in her third quarter-final of the year after the Russian had a walkover following opponent Amanda Anisimova’s withdrawal through illness.

Kvitova, however, needed three sets to see off Jelena Ostapenko 6-2 5-7 6-1, while Zheng Saisai fought back to get the better of seventh seed Kiki Bertens 3-6 6-3 6-4.

Belarus player Aryna Sabalenka lost just three games as she beat Maria Sakkari 6-3 6-0, while Garbine Muguruza was similarly untroubled in her 6-2 6-4 win over Dayana Yastremska.

The Spaniard will go head to head with top seed Ashleigh Barty on Thursday.

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Karolina Pliskova