No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus cruised to the semifinals of the Mutua Madrid Open by picking up a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Russian 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva on Wednesday in Spain.
Sabalenka needed only 1 hour, 19 minutes to dispatch Andreeva. Meanwhile, Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina, the No. 4 seed, had a much tougher time with countrywoman Yulia Putintseva, taking 2 hours, 48 minutes to escape with a 4-6, 7-6 (4), 7-5 win in another quarterfinal match.
Rybakina saved two match points while facing a 5-2 deficit in the third set to win her eighth consecutive match. She is now 30-4 on the season.
"I was not there with the legs definitely in the match," said Rybakina, now 1-2 in her career against Putintseva. "She's a tough opponent. She's a fighter, and she was playing well.
"In the third set, it was very quick when I started to lose these three games in a row, 5-2 down. After that, I think I just didn't have any more emotions, no frustration or nothing. I was just going for every point. Was trying to do what I (was) supposed to do, and then whatever happens happened."
With Putintseva leading 5-2 in the third set, Rybakina used a drop shot to fight off the first match point and an ace to get past the second. She then won seven straight points and 19 of the next 23 en route to beating the resilient Putintseva on her fourth match point.
Rybakina led 6-0 in aces but also had eight double faults to Putintseva's two.
Rybakina's next opponent, defending champion Sabalenka, repeated history in her match on Wednesday. Sabalenka had defeated Andreeva, then 16, in the fourth round of the 2023 Madrid Open, 6-3, 6-1.
Andreeva faced the same fate this year, as Sabalenka never faced a break point. Sabalenka lost only 14 points in nine service games and recorded 35 winners to 13 unforced errors.
"I'm super happy with the level I played today, and with this win," Sabalenka said Wednesday. "She's an incredible player even though she's super young. Conditions suit me well, and hopefully, I can just keep going the way that I'm going."
Andreeva saved 2 of 5 break-point opportunities and won 31 of 58 total service points.
Sabalenka is attempting to win her third Madrid title, with Petra Kvitova being the only other woman to accomplish that feat.--REUTERS