"Shot of my life" - Karolina Pliskova on stunning Naomi Osaka with passing winner shot during Qatar Open QF victory
Karolina Pliskova recently reacted to an incredible forehand passing shot she produced during her Qatar Open quarterfinal win against Naomi Osaka.
Pliskova reached the quaterfinals at the WTA 1000 event after beating Anna Kalinskaya, Anastasia Potapova, and Linda Noskova. Osaka made her way into the quarterfinals following victories over Caroline Garcia, Petra Martic, and Lesia Tsurenko (walkover).
In a match between two former WTA World No. 1 players, things were mostly even as it finished 7-6(6), 7-6(5) in Pliskova's favor. Both the Japanese and the Czech produced moments of brilliance, but there was one particular shot from latter that caught the eye.
With Osaka leading 5-4 in the first set and the game evenly poised at 15 all, Pliskova produced a decisive passing shot winner. The Japanese looked favorite to win the point as she made Pliskova chase the ball from one corner to another. However, the Czech rose up to the challenge in spectacular fashion with her pass.
Following the conclusion of the match, the official WTA handle on X (formerly Twitter), posted a video of the shot. Pliskova reposted the video and deemed the shot as an all-timer.
"Shot of my life," she wrote.
Iga Swiatek awaits Karolina Pliskova in the semifinals
Pliskova will face a formidable Iga Swiatek in the semifinals. The World No. 1 has been on an utterly dominant run in Doha so far. In her first match, Swiatek made short work of Sorana Cirstea, winning 6-1, 6-1. She followed that up with another comfortable 6-1, 6-4 win against Ekaterina Alexandrova,. In her quarterfinal against Victoria Azarenka, Swiatek registered yet another convincing victory, as she dismantled the former World No. 1 6-4, 6-0.
The Pole has won the last two editions of the Qatar Open. In 2022, she defeated Anett Kontaveit in the final 6-2, 6-0. At the time, it marked her fourth WTA singles title. At the 2023 edition of the WTA 1000 event, Swiatek swept aside Jessica Pegula 6-3, 6-0 in the title clash.
The World No. 1 has a 3-0 head-to-head record against the Czech. The pair clashed for the first time in the final of the 2021 Italian Open, where Swiatek won 6-0, 6-0. Their next meeting came at the 2023 Stuttgart Open. Karolina Pliskova gave the Pole a tough fight but ultimately lost to Swiatek won 4-6, 6-1, 6-2. Their last encounter came at the 2023 Canadian Open in Montreal, which the Pole clinched 7-6(6), 6-2.