Gracheva Crushes Cocciaretto 6-2, 6-1 to Qualify for Doha WTA 1000 Main Draw

Gracheva in Top Form: Powers Through Qualifiers to Secure Second Career Main Draw Spot at Doha WTA 1000

© AFP

Adrien Guyot

le 07/02/2026 à 10h36

2 min to read

Cocciaretto Elisabetta Doha Gracheva Varvara

The only Frenchwoman entered in the qualifying rounds of the Doha WTA 1000 this weekend, Varvara Gracheva had already covered half the ground by dominating Aliaksandra Sasnovich on Friday (6-4, 6-0).

To confirm that victory and earn a spot in the main draw in Qatar, the world No. 73 had to get past Elisabetta Cocciaretto. The Italian, ranked No. 51 in the WTA this week, has enjoyed a perfect start to the season.

She began with a title at the Hobart WTA 250 in the first week of competition in 2026. She then fell in the first round of the Australian Open to Julia Grabher and wanted to get back on track. After her comeback win in the first round against Ekaterine Gorgodze, the 25-year-old aimed to follow it up against Gracheva.

Gracheva Dispatches Cocciaretto and Qualifies for Doha Main Draw

In this first-ever meeting between the two players, it was the Frenchwoman who made the stronger impression. Picking up right where she left off against Sasnovich, Gracheva controlled the match from start to finish.

Without facing a single break point, she wrapped it up in just over an hour (6-2, 6-1 in 1h03) and qualified for the main draw. Gracheva will compete in the Doha tournament for the second time in her career, two years after her opening-round defeat to Zhu Lin in 2024.

There will thus be two French players in the Qatari event next week: Gracheva, who will learn her first-round opponent in the coming hours, and Elsa Jacquemot, set to face McCartney Kessler.