Baptiste saves six match points to stun Sabalenka
Hailey Baptiste saved six match points to defeat world number one Aryna Sabalenka 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (8-6) in the Madrid Open quarter-finals, ending Sabalenka's 15-match winning streak. The 30th seed, who previously lost close matches to Sabalenka, used aggressive tactics including serve-and-volley and drop shots to secure her first win over a top-five player. Baptiste will face Mirra Andreeva in the semi-finals after Andreeva defeated Leylah Fernandez in straight sets. Sabalenka acknowledged Baptiste's brave play on key points and her own uncharacteristic errors.
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Baptiste saves six match points to stun Sabalenka Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Baptiste is one win away from her first WTA Tour-level singles finalByElizabeth BotcherbyBBC Sport journalistPublished18 minutes agoHailey Baptiste saved six match points as she stunned world number one and defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in the quarter-finals of the Madrid Open.Baptiste, the 30th seed, came through 2-6 6-2 7-6 (8-6) in a little over two and a half hours to end Sabalenka's 15-match winning streak. She is just the second player, after Elena Rybakina in the Australian Open final, to defeat the Belarusian this season."I played her a few weeks ago [in Miami] and it was a close match.
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