SUMMARY
- Elena Rybakina vs. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova semi final at Qatar Open saw a hilarious fan incident.
- Viewers reacted hilariously to a fan falling for Rybakina's ball.
Elena Rybakina clinched her spot in the final at the Qatar Open with an impressive 6-2, 6-4 victory over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the semifinal. Now, she will be facing off against world No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the final.
The match was more or less one-sided, and although Pavlyuchenkova did try to make a comeback in the second set, the main highlight of the match for the fans seemed to be a hilarious incident after the match.
As Rybakina wins the match, she hits the signed balls towards the spectators. One overly enthusiastic fan seems to be unable to control his emotions as he hilariously falls over trying to catch Rybakina’s signed ball.
Fans couldn’t control their laughter and reacted to the hilariously tragic scene. One user commented, “He risked his own balls to get a ball”
He risked his own balls to get a ball 🥲🥲
— Mayank Sharma (@duniyamohmaya) February 16, 2024
Some die-hard Rybakina fans don’t see any fault in the spectators here.
Well i fall on my knees i see Elena as well so i understand 😂😂 https://t.co/DlZ3RP9wGa
— Hamza #44 #63 (@UTDHaMzA21) February 16, 2024
I don’t blame him 😅
— Edward (@edborco) February 16, 2024
One user analyzed the scenario that the spectator was trying to catch the ball before the kids.
I mean he was literally trying to fight little kids to get the ball…..err I think someone needs to grow up 😂
— BisolaMusic (@bisolamusic) February 16, 2024
Hopefully, the spectator was not hurt by the fall. However, he definitely gave a reason to remember the match for the viewers present to see Elena Rybakina vs. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova at the Qatar Open. Moreover, he’s not the only die-hard fan of the Kazakh tennis star. Soccer legend Ronaldinho seems to be a Lena fan too.
Elena Rybakina reacted to Ronaldinho watching her match at Qatar Open
Elena Rybakina recently shared her excitement on Instagram after former Brazilian soccer legend Ronaldinho attended her quarterfinal match against Leylah Fernandez at the 2024 Qatar Open.
During the quarterfinal match, the presence of the Barcelona legend delighted the fans. Ronaldinho showed up wearing the hoodie of his former soccer club PSG, which is sponsored by Qatar Airways. He waved to the camera and greeted the fans during the event.
After the game, Rybakina took to Instagram to share her joy, sharing the post of Eurosport in her Instagram story with the caption “@ronaldinho 🙌🏻 🙌🏻,” acknowledging the presence of the soccer icon at her match.
However, she seemed embarrassed by her look in the picture of the post, as she humorously hid her face with a ‘smiley’ in her story.
Elena Rybakina vs. Iga Swiatek at Qatar Open final: Head-to-head stats, preview and prediction
Defending champion Iga Swiatek, eyeing her third consecutive title, got a breather as she advanced to the final with a walkover due to Karolina Pliskova‘s withdrawal owing to a lower back injury.
I’m happy to be in another final here in Doha but I wish we could play tonight and entertain you guys. Hope you’ll get well soon @KaPliskova. Congrats to you and your team on your great two weeks.💪🏼
— Iga Świątek (@iga_swiatek) February 16, 2024
Rybakina, who has already marked wins in Brisbane and Abu Dhabi this season, started strong. Their upcoming clash in the final marks the first time Rybakina will go head-to-head with Swiatek for the title. Despite Swiatek’s top-ranking status, Rybakina holds an edge with victories in their last three encounters.
Also read: WTA Qatar Open 2024 Ft. Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina and More: Schedule, Prize Money and Details
In Qatar Open final, Swiatek will try to replicate Serena Williams by clinching a WTA event three times in a row, a feat last accomplished when Williams dominated the Miami title from 2013 to 2015.
In their head-to-head encounters, Rybakina currently leads Swiatek 3-1, with their previous match ending in Rybakina’s favor at the 2023 Italian Open after Swiatek retired in the third set.
Since 2022, Qatar Open has become Swiatek’s stronghold. Following a setback at the Australian Open, Swiatek has made a strong return in Qatar, dropping only 11 games throughout the tournament.
Rybakina is looking in excellent form, having clinched the Abu Dhabi Open title last week, and is currently on an eight-match winning streak. Despite showing signs of fatigue in the semifinals, her performances can’t be overlooked.
Swiatek’s record in finals is better than Rybakina’s. A remarkable 17-4 record compared to Rybakina’s 7-9. We expect Swiatek vs. Rybakina to go three sets. However, Rybakina’s past performance against Swiatek hints that she knows the game of world no. 1.
Prediction: Elena Rybakina to win in three sets.
