Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek Progress to Semifinals at Madrid Open
Last year's runner-up, Aryna Sabalenka, battled through a determined Marta Kostyuk and an unexpected rain delay to secure a 7-6, 7-6 victory, advancing to the Madrid Open semifinals for the fourth time on Wednesday. The top-seeded Sabalenka...
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Last year's runner-up, Aryna Sabalenka, battled through a determined Marta Kostyuk and an unexpected rain delay to secure a 7-6, 7-6 victory, advancing to the Madrid Open semifinals for the fourth time on Wednesday.
The top-seeded Sabalenka required 84 minutes to clinch the first set before prevailing in cold, breezy conditions.
Kostyuk managed to save a match point and broke Sabalenka to force the second set into a tiebreak. However, at 5-4 in the breaker, rain started falling, prompting a brief halt in play to close the roof of the Manolo Santana stadium.
After the match resumed, Sabalenka successfully fended off three set points and ultimately secured the win, marking her third triumph over Kostyuk in their three encounters.
"Honestly, that was a battle and conditions were incredibly tough. It wasn't about tennis, it was about the way you handled your emotions," remarked the Belarusian world No. 1, who committed 48 unforced errors. "I think I did really well and I'm super proud I was able to handle myself in such a difficult situation."
Next, Sabalenka will face another Ukrainian, Elina Svitolina, who extended her winning streak to 11 matches with a swift 6-2, 6-1 victory over Japan's Moyuka Uchijima in just 52 minutes.
Having won a title in Rouen the previous week, Svitolina remains unbeaten on clay this season and becomes the first Ukrainian woman to reach the semifinals in Madrid. The 30-year-old has won her last 22 consecutive sets on clay.
Earlier in the day, Iga Swiatek kept her Madrid Open title defense alive by avenging her Australian Open loss to Madison Keys with a comeback win of 0-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the quarterfinals.
The second-seeded Swiatek will next face Coco Gauff, who triumphed over the 18-year-old Mirra Andreeva for the third time in as many meetings, winning 7-5, 6-1.
In search of her first title of the season, Swiatek rebounded from a shaky opening set to elevate her perfect record on clay against Keys to 4-0 and reach her third consecutive Madrid semifinals.
Keys had previously eliminated the Pole during her run to a maiden Grand Slam title in Melbourne three months earlier, even delivering a bagel in the opening set on Wednesday.
However, Swiatek, competing in her 17th consecutive clay quarterfinal, reduced her errors and fought back to secure a spot in the last four against Gauff.
Olivia Brown for TROIB News
The top-seeded Sabalenka required 84 minutes to clinch the first set before prevailing in cold, breezy conditions.
Kostyuk managed to save a match point and broke Sabalenka to force the second set into a tiebreak. However, at 5-4 in the breaker, rain started falling, prompting a brief halt in play to close the roof of the Manolo Santana stadium.
After the match resumed, Sabalenka successfully fended off three set points and ultimately secured the win, marking her third triumph over Kostyuk in their three encounters.
"Honestly, that was a battle and conditions were incredibly tough. It wasn't about tennis, it was about the way you handled your emotions," remarked the Belarusian world No. 1, who committed 48 unforced errors. "I think I did really well and I'm super proud I was able to handle myself in such a difficult situation."
Next, Sabalenka will face another Ukrainian, Elina Svitolina, who extended her winning streak to 11 matches with a swift 6-2, 6-1 victory over Japan's Moyuka Uchijima in just 52 minutes.
Having won a title in Rouen the previous week, Svitolina remains unbeaten on clay this season and becomes the first Ukrainian woman to reach the semifinals in Madrid. The 30-year-old has won her last 22 consecutive sets on clay.
Earlier in the day, Iga Swiatek kept her Madrid Open title defense alive by avenging her Australian Open loss to Madison Keys with a comeback win of 0-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the quarterfinals.
The second-seeded Swiatek will next face Coco Gauff, who triumphed over the 18-year-old Mirra Andreeva for the third time in as many meetings, winning 7-5, 6-1.
In search of her first title of the season, Swiatek rebounded from a shaky opening set to elevate her perfect record on clay against Keys to 4-0 and reach her third consecutive Madrid semifinals.
Keys had previously eliminated the Pole during her run to a maiden Grand Slam title in Melbourne three months earlier, even delivering a bagel in the opening set on Wednesday.
However, Swiatek, competing in her 17th consecutive clay quarterfinal, reduced her errors and fought back to secure a spot in the last four against Gauff.
Olivia Brown for TROIB News
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