Poland's Iga Swiatek hits a return against Australia’s Daria Kasatkina during their women’s singles match at the Qatar Open tennis tournament in Doha on February 11, 2026. AFP
The world number two recovered to beat Russian-born Australian Kasatkina 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 and set up a tie with Greece's Maria Sakkari.
Swiatek, who won the WTA 1000 tournament in 2022, 2023 and 2024, had breezed through her last six meetings with Kasatkina without dropping a set but blew a 5-3 lead to lose the opener.
She quickly regrouped, though, racing through the next two sets with six breaks of serve.
Swiatek remains on course for a possible rematch with Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina in the final after the Kazakh's win in their quarter-final clash at Melbourne Park last month.
Rybakina takes on China's Zheng Qinwen later Thursday.
Canada's Victoria Mboko won the battle of the teenagers by saving a match point to knock out fifth seed Mirra Andreeva in a deciding-set tie-break.
The 19-year-old Mboko saved the match point on the Andreeva serve late in the third set before sealing a 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7/5) success.
"I feel like I came out with some very clutch shots at the end," said Mboko, who could face Rybakina next.
"I think we both were pretty tired when it came to the tie-break. I think I felt like I was lucky enough to have some good shots in the great moments."
Jelena Ostapenko, last year's runner-up, saw off Colombian Camila Osorio 6-3, 6-1 to set up a last-eight tie with Elisabetta Cocciaretto.
Italian lucky loser Cocciaretto backed up her second-round win over Coco Gauff by beating Ann Li 7-6 (7/5), 5-7, 6-4.
Czech Karolina Muchova also reached the quarters when compatriot and former world number one Karolina Pliskova retired injured from their last-16 match when trailing 5-2 in the first set.
Sakkari defeated France's Varvara Gracheva 7-6 (7/3), 6-0 in the opening tie of the day.
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