 Alina Rabakina vs Anastasia Pavlyachenkova is the first semi-final for the ladies. Katara open for 2024. Both have been super impressive to get to this stage. Pavlyachenkova started the tournament unseeded and will take on the number 11 seed Kazakina in the first round. There's no problem getting through in straights, 6-2-7-6. In the second round she take on Kostchuk and after three games Kostchuk was forced to retire, handing Pavlyachenkova the win to one retirement. In the third round she take on the sixth seed Vondrusava, who hadn't been playing well lately and Pavlyachenkova took advantage of this, winning in straights, 7-5-6-3. In the quarter-finals she take on Danielle Collins, another unseeded player who had taken out Kutumatova along the way. But again, Pavlyachenkova too strong, getting through in straights, 7-5-6-4 to make it to the semi-final. Rabakina started the tournament as the number three seed and would get a buy in the first round. In the second round she take on Zoo, but there's no problem getting through in straights, 6-2-6-1. In the third round she take on Navarro, the 16th seed and after dropping the second set, Rabakina would have to fight back to win 6-1-6-7-6-4. In the quarter-finals she take on Leila Fernandez, who had taken out Sampsonova and Zhang along the way. And after a tough first set, Rabakina would win in straights, 6-4-6-2 to advance to the semi-finals. These two have only played the one time before, that was at the French Open in 2021, in the quarter-finals stage with Pavlyachenkova winning 9-7 in the third. And of course that was the same tournament where she made the final of that French Open, so a lot has changed since then, three years ago. Rabakina is a much different player now, but still Pavlyachenkova has got to feel good about herself for that one. If Pavlyachenkova is going to win this one, she needs to move Rabakina around and also use that confidence to the fact that she hasn't lost a set all week, and also that she's beaten Rabakina in the past. Move her around to try and get Rabakina off balance. Rabakina is going to win this one, she's a serve big and use that forehand as well to power. Try and move Pavlyachenkova around as well, because Pavlyachenkova is still coming back from a long time off from last year, so maybe get a little bit tired having played so many matches in a row, Pavlyachenkova, but Rabakina's in red hot form, got to use that serve. What a great matchup, both players deserve to be here. Pavlyachenkova has beaten some big names along the way, but I've got to go with Rabakina in a close straight set. So I think Rabakina is going to get this one, maybe a tiebreak first set, and then gets a second 6-4 or something like that, but let me know down in the comments below who's going to make the final of Doha.