World No 2 Iga Swiatek suffered a shocking 2-6, 6-4, 7-5 defeat to unseeded Maria Sakkari in the Qatar Open quarter-finals. The top seed dominated the first set in just 33 minutes but couldn't maintain her momentum against the world No 52 Greek player.

Sakkari broke through in the second set, marking her first set win in five matches against Swiatek. The deciding set saw dramatic swings as Sakkari held a 5-2 lead before Swiatek fought back to level. However, Sakkari held her serve and secured the crucial break in the final game to advance.

The upset eliminates the tournament's top seed and sets up Sakkari's semi-final clash against either Karolina Muchova or Anna Kalinskaya. This marks Sakkari's first WTA singles final appearance since 2023 as she pursues her third career title.