Menu

Post image 1
Post image 2
1 / 2
0

Aryna Sabalenka’s Madrid Open title defence ends with shock defeat by Hailey Baptiste

The Independent·Flo Clifford·about 1 month ago
#0SRqjgSa
Reading 0:00
15s threshold

Aryna Sabalenka ’s defence of her Madrid Open title ended in a stunning defeat by American Hailey Baptiste in the quarter-finals. Baptiste saved six match points in the third set to come through 2-6 6-2 7-6(8-6) in just over two and a half hours, becoming just the second player this season - after Elena Rybakina in the Australian Open final - to down the world No 1. It brought an end to a 15-match winning streak for the Belarusian, who had overcome Baptiste easily in their only previous meeting, 6-4 6-4 in the Miami Open quarter-finals last month. Baptiste said: “I played her a few weeks ago and it was a close match. I had a better idea of how to play her and adjustments I needed to make. “It was an uncomfortable situation for her, me serving and volleying, hitting a drop shot in one of the match points.…

Continue reading — create a free account

Join HashtagPLUS to read full articles, follow hashtags, vote, and join the conversation.

Read More