MADRID – Aryna Sabalenka gave herself an early birthday gift on Thursday by easing into the Madrid Open final, and then plotted revenge on world No. 1 Iga Swiatek.
The Belarusian world No. 2 turned 25 on Friday and she celebrated in style by breezing past Greek world No. 9 Maria Sakkari 6-4, 6-1 in the Spanish capital.
Sabalenka, the 2021 champion in Madrid, will face Swiatek in Saturday’s championship match after the Pole also cruised past Russian Veronika Kudermetova 6-1, 6-1.
The reigning Australian Open champion will be chasing a fifth WTA 1000 title, a 13th career title overall and third in 2023.
More importantly for her, she will have the opportunity to avenge her straight-set loss to Swiatek in the Stuttgart Open final in April.
“I really want this revenge,” she said.
“It would be really great to be able to defeat a player like Iga on clay. It’s really good that we’re playing so consistently so we’re meeting each other in the finals.
“But it’s always tough. You have to fight really hard against Iga and I’m ready for that.
“In Stuttgart, I was rushing on the short balls, I tried too hard for the winning shot. This time, I played with more patience and waited for the right ball to finish the point.”
Sabalenka added that improving her serve in the last year had given her the confidence that she can defeat Swiatek.
“Before, it was really tough because I didn’t have so many weapons. I had my character and that’s it,” she said.
“Later in the season, when I fixed my serve, I understood that actually I can play well against her, I can beat her.
“Right now, it’s a different mentality.”
On her win over Sakkari, she added: “I think it was actually my best match of the tournament.
“I started really well. Then Maria came back. But mentally, I was staying really strong. I knew that she’s going to fight for every point.
“It didn’t destroy me that she came back.
“I’m super happy especially, with my mental game.”
In the men’s quarter-finals in Madrid, Jan-Lennard Struff stunned world No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas to become only the third lucky loser – after Thomas Johansson at Toronto in 2004 and Lucas Pouille at Rome in 2016 – to reach the semi-finals of an ATP Masters event.
The 33-year-old German, who had lost in the qualifying round before being allotted a place in the main draw, triumphed 7-6 (7-5), 5-7, 6-3.
Struff took on Russian qualifier Aslan Karatsev, whom he lost to earlier in the tournament, in Friday’s semi-finals, which started after press time.
The winner of that clash will be in the final against world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz, who defeated Croatian 17th seed Borna Coric 6-4, 6-3 in the earlier semi-final. AFP, REUTERS
