Coming into the tournament 21st in the WTA rankings, the Czech won 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in two hours and 16 minutes to add to her triumph in St Petersburg earlier this month.
While Federer and Nadal will look to reignite the flair and fight they showed to reach last year's final, 2018 could have a different script at play.
Former world number 11 Shahar Peer, the most successful Israeli woman to play on the WTA Tour, announced her retirement because of injury on Tuesday.
Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis on Thursday announced that they will join forces once again at the WTA Finals, which is scheduled to be held in Singapore later this year.
It was an unusual tennis experience as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal kicked off the 2011 ATP World Tour season in Doha by hitting tennis balls on a court laid in the water of Doha Bay ahead of the Qatar Open.
Nikolay Davydenko saved two match points as he made a remarkable recovery to beat Rafael Nadal 0-6, 7-6, 6-4 in the Qatar Open final on Saturday.
Rafael Nadal is expected to be released from a clinic in Barcelona on Tuesday after undergoing a successful appendectomy, the world number three's spokesman said.
Top three seeds Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray continued their serene progress at the Qatar Open on Wednesday, reaching the quarter-finals with straight-sets victories.
World number one Roger Federer had to play three sets to reach the Qatar Open semi-finals on Thursday, while number two Rafael Nadal had an easier ride when his opponent retired injured to put him in the last four. Swiss Federer survived a scare from 21-year-old Latvian Ernests Gulbis before winning 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 to progress to the next round where he will face Russian third seed Nikolay Davydenko who beat big-serving Croat Ivo Karlovic 7-6, 7-6.
World number one Novak Djokovic eased past Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 6-4 to lift his fifth Dubai Tennis Championships title on Saturday, extending his unbeaten start to the 2020 season. Djokovic has now won 21 straight matches, including 18 this season, having already lifted the inaugural ATP Cup with Serbia and a record-extending eighth Australian Open title last month.
World number one Rafael Nadal chalked up his 11th victory in a row on Saturday, defeating unwell Frenchman Gael Monfils 6-4, 6-4 to reach the final of the World Indoor Tournament. The Spaniard next plays Britain's Andy Murray, who destroyed Croatian Mario Ancic 6-1, 6-2.
American Andy Roddick overcame the plucky resistance of Frenchman Gael Monfils to reach the final of the Qatar Open with a 7-6 3-6 6-3 win on Friday.
The world No 1's Australian Open preparations hit a stumbling block when he was beaten by Frenchman Gael Monfils in the quarter-finals.
American fourth seed Andy Roddick and fifth seeded Gael Monfils of France reached the second round of the Qatar Open with easy wins in Doha on Monday. Roddick beat Spaniard Ivan Navarro 6-1, 6-3 in a little over an hour while Monfils outplayed Czech Republic's Jan Hernych in a 6-2, 6-2 victory.
Novak Djokovic's star still burns bright as he returns to Melbourne Park in search of a record seventh Australian Open title.
Maria Sharapova captured her first claycourt title when she defeated Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova 7-6, 6-3 in the final of the Amelia Island Championships on Sunday. Sharapova became the first woman to win three titles this season following her success at the Australian Open and Qatar Open and improved her 2008 win-loss record to 22-1.
The duo appear to have shaken off their respective ailments and return this week for the Pacific Life Open where they both triumphed in 2006.
Andy Murray overcame a sluggish start before sweeping past Sweden's Thomas Johansson at the $1.5 million Qatar Open.
Top seed Nikolay Davydenko and third seed Andy Murray reached the quarter-finals of $1.5 million Qatar Open in contrasting style in Doha.
Andy Murray shrugged off a back injury to tame Andy Roddick 6-4, 6-2 and retain his title at the Qatar Open on Saturday. As Murray enjoyed the perfect build-up to the start of the Australian Open on Jan. 19, the result also earned him a ninth ATP trophy.
The Indian tennis ace, however, maintained her doubles ranking at 23.
World No 1 Novak Djokovic beat defending champion Andy Murray 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 in the Madrid Open final on Sunday to capture a record 29th Masters crown.
Unseeded Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka knocked out defending champion Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia 7-6, 6-4 to reach the Qatar Open final.
The 20-year-old was ruled out of action for at least four weeks after undergoing surgery on her right knee.
Medical reports of the Indian tennis ace's troublesome right knee indicated "a possible Anterior Cruciate Ligament" injury.
Top seed Nikolay Davydenko of Russia and second-seeded Croatian Ivan Ljubicic progressed into the second round of the $1 million Qatar Open in contrasting fashions on Tuesday.
Top ranked women's doubles pair Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza had their 41-match winning streak halted on Thursday after they were beaten in the quarter-finals of the Qatar Open.
The Indian ace blamed lack of match practice after losing to seventh seed Ana Ivanovic in the second round of the French Open.
Maria Sharapova will face Vera Zvonareva in an all-Russian final at the Qatar Open.
Olga Govortsova of Belarus was handed a second round clash against top seed Ana Ivanovic when Indian opponent Sania Mirza was forced to retire with cramp in the third set of their match at the Qatar Open.
British number one Andy Murray won his second title of the year when he beat Croatia's Mario Ancic 6-3, 6-4 in the Marseille Open final on Sunday.
British number one Andy Murray recovered from a woeful spell to defeat Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka 3-6, 7-6, 6-1 on Thursday to reach the quarter-finals of the Marseille Open.
Held over because of heavy rain that drenched parts of southern China over the weekend, Berdych maintained his composure through another frustrating weather interruption to win in straight sets.
The 20-year-old, who will be out of action for four weeks, moved up to 45 in the latest WTA Tour singles ranking.
Top seed Justine Henin rallied from a set down to beat Jelena Jankovic and reach the final of the Qatar Open.
Justine Henin knocked out Swiss Patty Schnyder 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 to reach the Qatar Open semi-finals.
Sania Mirza says she has been working harder than ever before to taste title success again.
Sixth seed Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia, eighth seed Francesca Schiavone of Italy and India's Sania Mirza moved into the second round of the $1.3 million Qatar Open on Monday.
After a week's break, the Indian ace returns to the circuit at the Qatar Open where she takes on Romina Oprandi in the first round.
The Belgian fresh from her victory in Dubai, bids for a Gulf double when she starts as overwhelming favourite at the Qatar Open.
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