American tennis player Hailey Baptiste pulled off a big surprise at the WTA 1000 tournament in Madrid, knocking out world number one Arina Sabalenka of Belarus in the quarterfinals 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (6) after Sabalenka missed as many as six match points.
Sabalenka had in the tenth game of the third set five match-ball on the service of the American, but the 32nd player in the world saved herself with a brave game, and then in the tie-break game saved the Belarusian one more chance to win with the score 5-6.
Baptiste then scored three consecutive points and took advantage of the first opportunity for one of the biggest wins of her career.
I definitely am was very nervous. On Monday I had a hundred chances and I missed them all, I told myself that if I get a chance to win this time, I have to take the first onesaid Baptiste, who is only the second American to win the number one women’s tennis title in Madrid. Prior to Baptista, only ninth seed Serena Williams had managed it in 2012 against the WTA’s top seed, also Belarus’ Victoria Azarenka.
She played some great points. I had a chance or two, but I didn’t take it. She played bravely in key moments and deserved to winwas full of praise for her opponent at the press conference Sabalenka, the defending champion.
In the semi-finals, Baptiste will play against a Russian woman Mir Andrejeve. The ninth seed was 2-0 in sets against Canada’s Leylah Fernandez on Tuesday.
The remaining quarter-final matches in the women’s competition will take place today, and the Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk challenges the Czech Republic to Linda Noskovwhile in the match the non-racquet holder will cross the Czech player Karolina Pliskova and Austrian Anastasia Potapova. The latter eliminated the second seed, Kazakhstan’s Jelena Ribakina, in the round of 16.
All the quarter-finalists in the men’s competition are known. The first player in the world, Italian Jannik Sinnerchallenges the young Spaniard Rafael Jodarand the French Arthur Filsunder the guidance of a coach Goran Ivaniševićwill try to continue their good form against Czech Jiri Lehečka.
On Thursday, there will be matches between the German Alexander Zverev and the Italian Flavi Cobolli, and the defending champion of Norway Casper Ruud, and the Belgian surprise Alexandre Blockx.
(Hina | Photo: X)
