Aryna Sabalenka defeats Naomi Osaka to reach Madrid Open quarter-finals
World number one Aryna Sabalenka has reached the Madrid Open quarter-finals after overcoming four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka in a gruelling three-set thriller.
The Belarusian secured her 15th consecutive victory in the Spanish capital with a 6-7 (1-7) 6-3 6-2 triumph over the former world number one.
Sabalenka, a three-time champion at this tournament, will now face American 30th seed Hailey Baptiste in the last eight.
The top seed acknowledged the supreme quality of her opponent following the intense physical battle.
“That was an incredible level. She played really incredible tennis and I feel like I just got lucky with a couple of shots in the third set,” said Sabalenka.
Osaka shows signs of former brilliance
The Japanese star returned to professional tennis earlier this season following the birth of her daughter.
Her performance on the clay courts of Madrid suggests a rapid return to the elite echelons of the women’s game.
“She’s such an inspiration and coming back from pregnancy in a sport like tennis, it’s not easy,” Sabalenka added.
“She gives all of us hope that you can go and have a baby, come back, and still play that level of tennis.”
Former British player Naomi Broady praised the encounter, describing it as the standout match of the tournament so far.
Broady suggested that despite the defeat, the returning icon should draw immense confidence from pushing the current best player in the world to her absolute limits.
Baptiste survives marathon tie-break
Next up for the world number one is Baptiste, who survived a dramatic encounter against Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic.
The American stormed through the opening set before Bencic claimed an extraordinary 16-14 tie-break to force a decider.
However, the 30th seed regrouped to seal the final set 6-3 and secure her place in the quarter-finals.
Teenager Jodar thrills home crowd
In the men’s draw, home favourite Rafael Jodar defeated Joao Fonseca to reach the last 16.
The 19-year-old Spaniard overcame his Brazilian opponent 7-6 (7-4) 4-6 6-1 in a highly anticipated third-round clash.
Jodar becomes only the eighth teenager to reach this stage in Madrid tournament history, joining a prestigious list that includes compatriots Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal.
“Joao is always a very tough player, so these matches are decided by fine margins,” said Jodar.
