Coco Gauff Crashes Out in Doha Opener, Elena Rybakina Advances
Marta Kostyuk stunned Coco Gauff in the second round of the Qatar Open, while Elena Rybakina powered through her opening match with a dominant display.
After receiving a first-round bye, Gauff struggled against an inspired Kostyuk, losing 6-2, 7-5 in a match filled with unforced errors. Meanwhile, Rybakina, the No. 5 seed, eased past Peyton Stearns 6-2, 6-4 to reach the round of 16.
Gauff’s Struggles Lead to Early Exit
The third-seeded American faced issues with her serve, hitting seven double faults and dropping her serve five times throughout the match.
After losing the first set 6-2, Gauff showed signs of recovery by breaking Kostyuk in the third game of the second set. However, the Ukrainian broke back in the eighth game and eventually closed out the match with another break at 6-5.
Following her second-ever win over Gauff, Kostyuk praised her opponent and encouraged fans to revisit their past battles:
“Coco is an incredible fighter. We always have incredible matches. If you haven’t seen our matches, go on YouTube and watch it.”
Rybakina’s Powerful Start
On the other hand, Elena Rybakina made a statement in her opening match. The Kazakh quickly took control, securing two early breaks to race to a 5-1 lead in the first set before closing it out at 6-2.
She looked set for a routine second set after leading 5-0, but Stearns mounted a surprise comeback, getting both breaks back to make it 5-4. However, Rybakina regained composure and broke Stearns in the final game to seal the victory.
What’s Next?
- Kostyuk will face the winner of Magda Linette vs. Magdalena Frech for a spot in the quarter-finals.
- Rybakina is set for a potential showdown with either No. 12 seed Mirra Andreeva or Rebecca Sramkova.
- Gauff will look to regroup in Dubai, where she will aim to rediscover her best form.
With Gauff out, Rybakina remains one of the favorites to contend for the Qatar Open title.
