Doha curse? Gauff has not won a match here for three consecutive years!

The 2026 WTA1000 Doha event has confirmed the women's singles last 16 players. First, here are the specific third-round pairings:

[1] Swiatek vs Kasatkina

[Q] Grachova vs Sakari

Ka Pliskova vs [14] Mchova

Karolinska vs [7] Svitolina

Ostapenko vs [Q] Osorio

Li Jieni vs [L] Kociaretto

[5] Mira Andreeva vs [10] Mboko

Zheng Qinwen vs [2] Rybakina

From this list, it’s clear that although most seeded players were eliminated in the first two rounds, each quarterfinal section still features well-known players, with Ostapenko, last year's runner-up, holding up her 3/4 section.

Last night, the two matches featuring Chinese stars drew the most attention from domestic fans. Wang Xinyu, who has performed well this season, faced the new Australian Open champion Rybakina. Wang missed a 4-2 lead in the second set and lost 2-6, 4-6, failing to advance. Rybakina’s Middle East season debut was a success.

Zheng Qinwen, who secured her first win since returning, faced Parks in the second round. Parks was very dangerous both on serve and baseline when in form. After a three-set battle, Zheng won 2-1 to continue her streak. She is currently ranked 23rd and will next compete against Rybakina for a quarterfinal spot.

Meanwhile, the tournament’s 4th seed Gauff enjoyed a first-round bye in Doha this year but was upset in the second round by lucky loser Kociaretto, who won 6-4, 6-2. This marked Kociaretto’s third career victory against a top 10 player and her best performance at a 1000-level event.

It’s worth noting that after losing unexpectedly to Kociaretto in Doha this year, American star Gauff has now suffered first-round exits here for three consecutive years. In this match, Gauff had only 14 winners but committed an astonishing 39 unforced errors.

With Gauff’s exit, other big seeds who lost in the first round include Anisimova, Paolini, Noskova, and Samsonova. Fortunately, the top two seeds Swiatek and Rybakina remain in the draw, along with familiar names like Mchova, Svitolina, Andreeva, and Mboko.

In the latest odds for the women's singles title among the last 16, Rybakina leads with odds of 2.87, followed by:

Swiatek: 3.2

Andreeva: 7.5

Svitolina: 10

Mchova: 11

Mboko: 12

Sakari: 23

Ostapenko: 26

Chinese star Zheng Qinwen ranks 9th with odds of 29. She will face the 2nd seed Rybakina tonight. Fans hope Zheng can continue her winning streak and deliver a surprise!(Source: Tennis Home Author: Barbie)