New Delhi: Belarus world number one player Aryna Sabalenka stormed into the Madrid Open semifinals with a straight sets victory over Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine 7-6, 7-6. She saw off the world number 36 with ease as Kostyuk failed to showcase her defence in the match. The game, that lasted for two hours and 32 minutes, required two tough tiebreaks.
Belarusian Sabalenka is set to face Ukraine’s world no.17 Elina Svitolina in the semis clash, which is touted as a high-octane match. On her way to the semis, Sabalenka beat Russia’s world number 76 Anna Blinkova, 6-3, 6-4, Belgium’s world number 28 Elise Mertens, 3-6, 6-2, 6-1, and World No.44 Peyton Stearns of the United States, 6-2, 6-4 in what has been a fantastic campaign for him at the tournament.
Sabalenka’s classic win
In the cold, breezy conditions, Sabalenka took 84 minutes to take the opening set before securing the victory. Her opponent Kostyuk was successful in saving a match point and broke to take the second set into a tiebreak. At 5-4 in the breaker, it began to rain and play was halted briefly. Post the resumption, the Belarusian player saved three set points and eventually won. It was her third victory over her rivals in as many meetings.
‘Honestly, that was a battle and conditions were incredibly tough. It wasn’t about tennis, it was about the way you handled your emotions,’ said the Belarusian world number one. ‘I think I did really well and I’m super proud I was able to handle myself in such a difficult situation,’ she added.
Earlier in the day, talented player Iga Swiatek kept her Madrid Open title defence alive after avenging her Australian Open loss to Madison Keys with a 0-6, 6-3, 6-2 win against the American in the quarter-finals to proceed to the semifinals of the tournament. Sabalenka, meanwhile, would be hoping to win the crown again after winning it in 2021 and 2023.
Aryna Sabalenka would be hoping to win the title crown in this season again after winning it in 2021 and 2023. She missed the title by a whisker in 2024. Tennis Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
