Sabalenka rescues victory in Madrid thriller

Aryna Sabalenka laid on a fightback from a set and a break down on Monday to preserve her quest for a fourth title at the Madrid Masters with a come-from behind 6-7 (1), 6-3, 6-2 defeat of Naomi Osaka.

The fourth-round win sent the world No. 1 and defending champion into the quarter-finals against Hailey Baptiste, who defeated  Swiss Belinda Bencic 6-1, 6-7 (14), 6-3.

The American winner was stunned by her fighting success:

“The tiebreak was insane,” Baptiste said. “It was quite obvious that nerves got a bit in the way when I had some moments to close out the match, but that’s obviously a part of the game.

“I wasn’t able to get out of that tiebreak, but I was able to turn it around in the third set, so I can be happy about that.

“(It would have been) super easy to just leave the match mentally after something like that. Having six chances – painful, very, very painful to not get out of that.”Sabalenka earned a less dramatic but equally satisfying victory into the last eight in the capital.

“Oh my God, that was incredible level,” the winner said . “She played incredible tennis.= “I feel like I just got lucky in a couple shots in the third set, that’s why it went that fast.”

The top seed finished in the deciding set as she lost just three points on serve; she advanced with a sixth ace and 31st winner.

“I just dropped my level at the end of the first set and gave her that tiebreak quite easily,” Sabalenka said. “But overall I’m happy with my performance. 

“When someone put me under pressure, I was able to pull out really incredible shots and incredible tennis. I could struggle a little bit, and find a solution in the match. So, overall happy.”