Aryna Sabalenka’s 15-match winning streak ended in dramatic fashion on Tuesday night in Madrid, the World No.1 failing to convert on six match points as she lost to American Hailey Baptiste, 2-6, 6-2, 7-6(6).
Three-time Madrid champion Sabalenka, who prolonged the match and got it to a tiebreak despite being a point from victory on six excruciating occasions, fell to 28-5 in tiebreaks since the start or last year, and leaves Madrid with a 26-2 record on the season. Her only losses came in dramatic three settters, in the Australian Open final to Elena Rybakina, and Tuesday’s epic clash with the 24-year-old D.C. native.
After the contest, Sabalenka was quick to praise Baptiste for her daring management of the match’s most difficult moments.
“It was a tough match,” Sabalenka said. “She played great. I played great. I think I had some opportunities in the third set. I felt like I was maybe a little bit rushing the point over there. But it’s okay, sometimes I guess you have to learn, take the bad stuff from this week and move on.”
Sabalenka took out Baptiste 6-4, 6-4 in the Miami quarterfinals last month, but she couldn’t manage to keep the No. 30 seed at bay on the red clay of the Caja Majica. She had five match point with Baptiste serving to stay in the match at 4-5, and another at 5-6 in the deciding tiebreak.
The World No.1 chalked the loss up some lapses on serve that allowed Baptiste a window into the match. Once she got into it, she became relaxed and let her dynamic first-strike tennis flow.
“I feel like in Miami I didn’t give her much opportunities,” Sabalenka said. “She couldn’t break my serve, I believe. Here, the first game, second set, I just double-faulted twice out of nowhere. It felt like that gave her belief. After that, she just started playing more aggressively. She, as I said, she was playing brave tennis. What can I say? Well done.”
Credit to Baptiste, who fought off nerves when it mattered most and played some courageous points to stave off defeat. There were multiple serve-and-volley points while match piont down, and some tremendous, timely shotmaking.
The American, who moves into her first WTA 1000 semifinal, will face Mirra Andreeva next.
“I think she played great points. I mean, I had some opportunities, didn’t use them. She played really brave tennis I feel like on those match points.”