DOHA: Former French Open finalist Karolina Muchova ended a six-year wait for a trophy on Saturday, defeating Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko 6-4 7-5 to win the Qatar Open and claim her first WTA 1000 title.
The 29-year-old Czech, who has battled a series of injuries and spent 10 months sidelined after suffering a wrist injury in 2023, had not lifted a WTA title since winning the Korea Open in September 2019.
Muchova produced a composed performance in the final, keeping unforced errors to a minimum and varying the pace effectively to secure victory in one hour and 34 minutes.
“It’s been a while since I won a tournament. It’s just nice to get that feeling again and to be reminded of that victory feeling,” Muchova said.
Mboko, 19, enjoyed an impressive run to the final and is expected to break into the top 10 of the world rankings for the first time after defeating fifth seed Mirra Andreeva and second seed Elena Rybakina earlier in the tournament.
“It was amazing. It’s not the outcome I wanted, but I think there are so many positives to take away,” Mboko said.
