Daria Kasatkina defeated Elina Avanesyan 6–2, 6–3 in the first round of the WTA 1000 event in Doha on hard court, confirming her status as the pre-match favourite with odds of 1.39 to Avanesyan's 3.24. The Russian top seed controlled proceedings throughout, breaking serve multiple times to secure a commanding victory in straight sets. Kasatkina's dominant performance underscored her positioning as a leading contender in the tournament, whilst Avanesyan's early exit leaves her facing a reset in the Middle Eastern leg of the season. The result reinforces Kasatkina's current form and sets up a favourable path through the early rounds.