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[vector_icon icon=”fas fa-microphone”] Match Recap from Announcer Andy Taylor, Voice of the Qatar Total Open
Carla Suarez Navarro – Mesmerizing Doha Legacy
In 2016, Carla Suarez Navarro was unbeatable on this court. That year, she captured the biggest Singles title of her career. AND teamed with Sara Errani to reach the Doubles Final.
Only one other player has reached both championship matches in the same year: France’s Sadrine Testud. During 2001’s inaugural Qatar Total Open, Testud fell to Martina Hingis in the Singles championship. She then teamed with Roberta Vinci to capture the Doubles title.
After skipping a rain-soaked 2017 Qatar Total Open, Carla returned during last year’s Premier-5 event. After falling in Round-2 to the 10-seed Jo Konta – this year, she’s determined to rekindle 2016’s unrelenting momentum. And she’s picked a good time to do it.
Three main draw players withdrew from the tournament last week, including World #1 Naomi Osaka. Since day-1 of Qualifying, four more talents have bailed – including Petra Martic, Ashleigh Barty, Caroline Wozniacki, and Caroline Garcia.
There’s opportunity in this year’s draw – with four Lucky Losers and only five top-10 talents: Kiki Bertens, Elina Svitolina, Angelique Kerber, Karolina Pliskova and Simona Halep.
Carla Suarez Navarro returns to the Round of 16
Today, Carla had little trouble with Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur – who’s been a perennial Doha Wild Card since her 17-year-old debut in 2012. Full of promise, Ons simply hasn’t been able to find her rhythm on this court. She has yet to win a Singles match here, in both qualifying and main draw play.
Day-2. Updated Singles Draw
[/alert]Day-2. Updated Doubles Draw
[/alert]Carla Suarez Navarro -26- (ESP) | Round-1 Announcer Introduction
In 2016, she won the biggest title of her career right here in Doha – capturing her first Premier-5 event with wins over World #3 Agnieszka Radwanska in the Semifinals and Jelena Ostapenko in the championship match. She was unstoppable that week, winning 5 straight singles matches to earn the Falcon, AND four straight doubles matches to reach the Doubles Final with partner Sara Errani. With the victory, she climbed to a career-high Singles ranking of #6 in the World. A 3-time Olympian and Fed Cup Finalist, she’s reached the Final-8 at the Majors 7-times, including Quarterfinal runs last year at both the Australian and US Opens. Back in Doha for the 6th time – From Spain, please welcome 2016 Qatar Total Open Champion, Carla Suarez Navarro.
- R1 — W | [WC] Ons Jabeur -56- (TUN) | Score: 6-3, 6-1
[WC] Ons Jabeur -56- (TUN) | Round-1 Announcer Introduction
She is the highest-ranked Arab player on the WTA Tour, and is back in Doha with a career-high ranking of #56 in the World. Last October, she finished the season with a tremendous run at the Kremlin Cup in Moscow. As a qualifier ranked outside the top-100, she won 7 consecutive matches – including victories over World #8 Sloane Stephens and World #11 Anastasija Sevastova – to reach her first WTA Tour-level Final. At the 2017 French Open, she earned her first career top-10 victory, upsetting World #7 Dominika Cibulkova to reach the 3rd-Round of a Major for the first time. A 2-time Olympian and proud member of country’s Fed Cup Team, she now owns 11 ITF Singles titles and is competing in her 6th Qatar Total Open. From Tunisia, please welcome the World #56, Ons Jabeur.
- R1 — L | Carla Suarez Navarro -26- (ESP) | Score: 3-6, 1-6
