By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
@MutuaMadridOpen.
American Hailey Baptiste reached the first WTA 1000 semifinal of her career with a 2-6, 6-2, 7-6(6) stunner against World No. Aryna Sabalenka.
The result ended a 15-match winning streak for Sabalenka, who was the defending champion in Madrid.
The 24-year-old Baptiste is the first player to beat Sabalenka from match points down since Iga Swiatek did it in the 2024 final in Madrid.
“I played her a few weeks ago [in Miami] and it was a close match. I had a better idea of how to play her and adjustments I needed to make,” Baptiste, 24, said.
“It was an uncomfortable situation for her, me serving and volleying, hitting a drop shot in one of the match points. It’s not the easiest position to put her in, which is the plan.”
After dropping the first set, Baptiste converted three of her four break points in the second to force a decider.
Trailing 5-4 in the third, the American saved five match points before earning the opportunity to serve for the match after breaking Sabalenka for a third time in the set.
Sabalenka broke back and later brought up a sixth match point at 6-5 in the tie-break. However, Baptiste rattled off three consecutive points to complete her maiden win over a top-five player.
She will face world number nine Mirra Andreeva, of Russia, who beat Canada’s Leylah Fernandez in straight sets, in the semi-finals.