World number one Iga Swiatek continued her bid for a third straight Qatar Open title, while Japan’s Naomi Osaka was knocked out in Doha.
Swiatek needed just 74 minutes to beat Belarusian former world number one Victoria Azarenka.
The Pole, who is on an 11-match winning run in Doha, will play an in-form Karolina Pliskova in the semi-finals.
Czech Pliskova ended Osaka’s best run in nearly two years with a win.
Four-time major winner Osaka returned to tennis last month after giving birth in July.
Her quarter-final meeting with Pliskova was the furthest she had gone in a tournament since reaching the Miami Open final in April 2022, losing to Swiatek.
Taiwan National Day Celebration
