World number one Iga Swiatek won the Qatar Open for the third year in a row on Saturday, defeating Elena Rybakina 7-6 (10/8), 6-2 in the final.
Swiatek is the first WTA player to win three consecutive titles in the same event since Serena Williams did so from 2013 to 2015.
Rybakina failed in her pursuit for a third title of the year. She won in Brisbane in early January and grabbed the trophy in Abu Dhabi last week.
Swiatek, who entered the final having won her previous 21 sets at the competition, got off to a bad start, falling behind a double break at 1-4.
The Pole broke twice in a row to put the set back on serve, but it appeared that Rybakina would snatch it when she won a difficult 11th game to go 6-5 up with her service game remaining.
Swiatek fought once again to force a tie-break, but she failed to take two set points and had to save one herself. After another wasted opportunity, the top seed wrapped off the set at the fourth attempt.
She saved two set points early in the second set before securing a 3-1 lead. Swiatek was on the verge of victory after a second Kazakh break in the seventh game, which she completed in two hours and 19 minutes.