Last year’s finalist Aryna Sabalenka survived a gravelly Marta Kostyuk and a premature rainy interruption to finish a 7-6 victory (7/4), 7-6 (9/7) against the Ukrainian and reach the semi-finals of Madrid Open for a fourth time on Wednesday. The best -classified serial sabalenka needed 84 minutes to take the opening set before winning the victory in cold and windy conditions. Kostyuk saved a match point and broke to take the second set in an equality break. At 5-4 in the circuit breaker, he started to rain and play was interrupted briefly to close the roof of the stadium of Manolo Santana.
After resumption of the game, Sabalenka saved three section points and won the victory, his third on his rival in as many meetings.
“Honestly, it was a battle and conditions were incredibly difficult. It was not tennis, it was the way you managed your emotions,” said Bélarus number one, which struck 48 uns forked mistakes.
“I think I have succeeded very well and I am super proud to have been able to manage myself in such a difficult situation.”
Sabalenka then faces another Ukrainian in the form of Elina Svitolina, who extended his sequence of victories at 11 consecutive games with a quick 6-2, 6-1 of Moyuka Uchijima Japanese in just 52 minutes.
Champion in Rouen last week, Svitolina is undefeated on Clay this season and is the first Ukrainian woman to reach the semi-finals of Madrid.
The 30 -year -old woman won her last 22 consecutive sets on red dirt.
Svitolina has a three -year -old daughter, manages a foundation that has taken care of the responsibilities of the Ukrainian national tennis team both financially and on a managerial side, and is on an incredible race that will see her in the top 15 of the ranking.
“I have a lot on my plate, but I draw energy and the motivation of my people,” said former world number three.
“When I go back to Ukraine, I receive so much energy from all the people who are right now with difficult times. I’m just trying to continue and attract victories for Ukraine.”
Earlier in the day, IGA Swiatek kept his defend on the title of Madrid Open in life, when she had avenged her Australian open defeat against Madison Keys with a victory of 0-6, 6-3, 6-2 against the American in the quarterfinals.
The second seeded will compete with Coco Gauff, who beat Mirra Andreeva, 18, for the third time in as many meetings, 7-5, 6-1.
Looking for its first title of the season, the second seeded Swiatek recovered from a bad opening set to improve its own record on Clay against Keys at 4-0 and reaching a third consecutive Madrid semi-final.
Keys knocked out the post on his way to a young slam title in Melbourne three months ago and seemed to have cracked the Swiattek code when she gave him a bagel in the first set on Wednesday.
But Swiatek, who challenged a 17th consecutive quarter -final on Clay, reduced his mistakes and retaliated to reserve a confrontation of the last four people with Gauff.
On the field of the Arantxa Sanchez stadium, Gauff recorded two section points while he received at 4-5 before taking an advance of a set after 63 minutes of play against Andreeva.
GAUFF sailed in the second set to reject the seventh seeded Russian and reach its first semi -final of the year – apart from the United Mixed Cup event.
The fourth American seeded gave itself a 9/10 note for its performance, adding: “I think I played very well and I was composed, even in the face of these adjustment points.”
In ATP Action, the conqueror of Novak Djokovic, Matteo Arnaldi, won several victories in a top-20 in an event for the first time by eliminating Frances Tiafoe 6-3, 7-5, 7-5 to move into the quarterfinals of Madrid.
The world’s number 44 Italian will face Jack Draper, who reached his first quarter-final of Masters 1000 on Clay with a 6-2, 6-2 result against the world number 12 Tommy Paul.
The lucky loser Gabriel Diallo saved three match points to win the largest victory in his career in the number 16 Grigor Dimitrov 5-7, 7-6 (9/7), 6-4 and reach the quarterfinals.
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Subjects mentioned in this article
Marta Kostyuk
Tennis
