Karolina Pliskova beat Caroline Wozniacki for the first time in her career to claim the Qatar Open title Saturday. The powerful Czech won in straight sets 6-3, 6-4 for her eighth WTA title and her second of the year, after her victory at the Brisbane International last month. It was the first Qatar title for the world No. 3 and confirms the 24-year-old's growing reputation as many see her as a potential Grand Slam title winner. Pliskova hit 27 winners and four aces in a match which she controlled from the beginning, after breaking Wozniacki in her first two service games. Wozniacki's defeat was the second time the Dane has lost in the Qatar Open after being defeated in straight sets by Russia's Vera Zvonareva back in 2011. Wozniacki and Pliskova were forced to play back-to-back matches in the quarterfinals and semifinals Friday night due to rain playing havoc the schedule. Wozniacki swept past Olympic gold medalist Monica Puig of Puerto Rico 6-1, 6-2 to reach her second final in Doha and Pliskova hit a career-best 21 aces to beat third-seeded Dominika Cibulkova 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 in the other semifinal. Earlier Wozniacki beat Lauren Davis of the United States 7-5, 6-1, while Pliskova defeated Zhang Shuai of China 6-2, 6-0. Puig also had to complete her quarterfinal match earlier Friday, edging Daria Kasatkina 4-6, 7-5, 6-4. Cibulkova was the only one of the four semifinalists to make it through Thursday. Tsonga in Rotterdam final Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga chalked up his 400th career victory in beating Czech Tomas Berdych to reach the final of the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament final in Rotterdam on Saturday. Tsonga, 31, went through 6-3, 6-4 to move one victory away from his first title since September, 2015. He will face either Belgium's David Goffin or fellow Frenchman Pierre-Huguet Herbert in the final. Goffin finally got the better of Grigor Dimitrov, beating the beat fifth-seeded Bulgarian 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 Friday. Pierre-Hugues Herbert, a doubles specialist ranked 109, upset second-seeded Dominic Thiem of Austria 6-4, 7-6 (3) in their first ever meeting. — Agencies
