Madrid Open: Baptiste shocks world no. 1 Sabalenka in epic comeback, enters last four
Hailey Baptiste saved six match points to defeat world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and reach her maiden WTA 1000 semifinal at the Madrid Open.
Continuing her golden run, World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka booked her berth in the Australian Open 2026 final for the fourth time after registering a dominant 6-2, 6-3 straight-sets win over Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina in the women’s singles semi-final at Rod Laver Arena on Thursday.
“An incredible achievement, but the job is not done yet,” Sabalenka said on court after the match.
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“Super happy with the win. She is such a tough opponent. I have been watching her game. She played incredibly throughout the tournament, and I felt like I had to step in and put as much pressure as I could back on her. I am glad the level was there today. I played great tennis and am happy to get the win in straight sets,” she added.
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The Belarusian, who lost the 2025 final to Madison Keys, will now face Elena Rybakina in the title clash on Saturday in Melbourne.
Also Read: Elina Svitolina stuns Coco Gauff with 59-minute win to reach Australian Open semifinal
Sabalenka needed just over an hour to seal the victory, staying in complete control from the start. She broke Svitolina’s serve twice to clinch the opening set 6-2 in 41 minutes.
Using her trademark power and strong serving, Sabalenka kept Svitolina under constant pressure and never allowed her opponent to settle into the contest as she moved a step closer to her third Australian Open title.
Sabalenka won 67 per cent of points on her first serve and an impressive 79 per cent on her second serve, underlining the one-sided nature of the match. In the second set, Svitolina briefly threatened a comeback by breaking early to take a 2-0 lead, but Sabalenka responded immediately, winning five consecutive games to surge ahead 5-2 before closing the set 6-3.
Svitolina, meanwhile, managed only 56 per cent of points won on her first serve and 50 per cent on her second, while also committing three double faults.
The top seed converted four of her seven break points, while Svitolina could manage only one break from four opportunities. Sabalenka also dominated the overall points tally, winning 65 points compared to Svitolina’s 46.
Also Read: Why Naomi Osaka pulled out of Australian Open 2026, sending Maddison Inglis through
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