Madrid: Defending Madrid Open champion Aryna Sabalenka produced a superb break to beat Setelena Rybakina to reach the final on Thursday.
The Belarusian second seed won 1-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7/5) and will face world number one Iga Sviatek on Saturday in last year’s final.
Klinik Swiatek previously beat American Madison Keys 6-1, 6-3.
In the men’s competition, Daniil Medvedev, the third seed, suffered an injury in the quarterfinal match against Jiri Lehecka.
Kazakh Rybakina dominated Sabalenka down in the first set with two breaks, but put up a tougher fightback in the second after a break in the third game.
Two-time Australian Open champion Sabalenka put heavy pressure on her fourth-seeded serve and eventually broke to level at 4-4.
Rybakina quickly broke back but looked flustered as she served for the match as world No. 2 Sabalenka broke back at 5-5 and looked to force a decisive third set in the next two games.
The players managed only one break before the exchange break – Sabalenka held for a 6-5 advantage.
The 25-year-old Sabalenka sealed victory with her usual strong serve that Rybakina couldn’t hold.
The 24-year-old senior striker has lost three of his last four matches but won his first encounter on clay.
“I don’t know how, but somehow I managed to survive the second set,” said Sabalenka, aiming for her third Madrid Open title in her third final.
“It was a tough match, good players, good tennis tonight.”
-rematch-
Sviatek won 6-3 against Sabalenka, but won her only match in the Spanish capital a year ago in three sets to win the title.
Swiatek, who dominates on clay, put her feet on the wrong foot against Keys and committed just eight unforced errors in the match to leave the 29-year-old American without a chance.
“I’m very happy to have a solid match today,” Swiatek said on court after reaching her 11th WTA 1000 final.
The top seed, who has won Doha and Indian Wells, started unforgivably, taking the first set in 31 minutes.
Keys was more competitive in the second, but Swiatek took two breaks.
– Medvedev injured-
Russia’s Medvedev struggled to the end of the first set against Lehecka with an upper thigh problem, before retiring 6-4.
The Czech Republic advances to the semi-finals of the Masters 1000, where top seed Jannik Dosa will face Felix Auger Aliassime, who withdrew after withdrawing with a heart problem on Wednesday.
“If I had to choose how to win this game, it wouldn’t be,” Lehecka said.
Medvedev took medical time off the court after the fifth game, and when he returned, he clearly had trouble moving freely on the court.
The world number four saved two breaks to lead 4-3 despite Lehecka playing in obvious pain.
The Czech, who defeated Rafael Nadal on Wednesday, took advantage of Medvedev’s challenge to take a 5-4 lead in the ninth game.
Medvedev won just four of his last 16 points before calling it a night, leaving fans disappointed. Thursday’s other men’s quarterfinals were canceled following Sinner’s withdrawal.
Medvedev, 28, is the defending champion at the Italian Open starting next week and the French Open, the second Grand Slam event of the season, in three weeks’ time.
“It will be good to return (to Rome) after last year’s victory, but (I) have to see what it is, because now I don’t know whether it is serious, whether it is serious or whether it is serious – no idea,” Medvedev told reporters .
After the Russian against favorite Carlos Alcaraz at home on Wednesday, Taylor Fritz will face Andrei Rublev in the other semi-final on Friday.
rbs/dj
