Fernandez loses steam, yields to Rybakina in Qatar TotalEnergies Open

MANILA, Philippines – Leylah Fernandez blew a huge lead in the opening set and dropped a 4-6, 2-6 result to No. 3 Elena Rybakina, bowing out of the semifinal race in the Qatar TotalEnergies Open in Doha Friday.

The Filipino-Canadian kept the momentum of her big 7-5, 6-3 victory over fifth seed Qinwen Zheng of China Wednesday as she stormed to a 4-1 lead in the early going of her quarterfinal duel with the Kazakh ace.

But Rybakina charged back with her crushing forehand shots and snared the set then re-asserted her might in the second on her way to victory and a semis face-off with Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

The Russian defeated American Danielle Collins, 7-5, 6-4.

Top seed and World No. 1 Iga Swiatek and Karolina Pliskova will dispute the other finals berth in the $3.2-million championship after the former trounced Victoria Azarenka, 6-4, 6-0, and the latter outlasted Naomi Osaka in a thrilling encounter, 7-6(6), 7-6(5).

Rybakina won six straight games to turn her first-ever match against the 2021 US Open finalist around in 94 minutes, her third semis stint in five tournaments played this season.

She denied Fernandez five game points to level the first set at 5 and sustained her mid-match streak. Rybakina also won the last four games of the match overall.

“She’s a very good player, lefty, tricky one,” said Rybakina of the Fil-Canadian. “I didn’t start the match that well but found my way at the end of the first set.”