Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka will play each other in the final of a second consecutive tournament, at the Mutua Madrid Open. Last week, the world’s two top players had contested the final of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart with Swiatek taking the title.
On Thursday, both Swiatek and Sabalenka came through their respective semi-final match-ups. In the first semi-final, Sabalenka defeated ninth seed Maria Sakkari 6-4, 6-1 after 85 minutes of play. The opening set featured a couple of service breaks before the higher-ranked player came out on top towards the business end of the set.
After having taken control over the momentum, Sabalenka ran away with the second set, overwhelming Sakkari thoroughly. Sabalenka won 71% of her first-serve points to Sakkari’s 67% and 50% of her second-serve points. She also converted 68% points on return on the Greek’s second serve.
Sabalenka finished the match with 68 points, 21 more than her opponent’s. After her win, the world no. 2 said, “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, how to say, didn’t destroy me that she came back. I was still playing; I was still fighting for every point. Yeah, I’m super happy with the level that I played, and especially with my mental game, I would say.
I’m more happy with my mental game”.
Mutua Madrid Open: Will Aryna Sabalenka solve the Iga Swiatek riddle?
In the second semi-final, Swiatek notched another routine 6-1, 6-1 victory over 12th seed Veronika Kudermetova.
The world no. 1 needed 79 minutes to wrap up the match. Swiatek saved all five break points she faced while converting five break points on Kudermetova’s serve. She also won 71% of her first-serve points an 68% of her second-serve points.
Swiatek also enjoyed considerable success in returning Kudermetova’s second serve, winning 12 of 19 points played. This is the first time that Iga Swiatek’s reached the Mutua Madrid Open final. Meanwhile, Aryna Sabalenka’s a former titlist here, having won the 2021 edition of the tournament.
For the reigning Australian Open winner, the milestone this week’s been that she’s the first player since her compatriot, Victoria Azarenka to make it to five finals before the Rome Open. Azarenka’s feat came over a decade ago, in 2012. Photo Credit: Mutua Madrid Open Twitter
