As it happened in his debut against the American Katie Volynets (4-6, 6-3, 6-2), Aryna Sabalenka have to come back from another game on WTA 1,000 on clay in Rome to advance in the contest.
The Belarusian, current champion of Australian Openworld number 2 and great favorite for the title with Iga Swiatekachieved a painful qualification for the quarterfinals after almost being knocked out against the Ukrainian Elina Svitolina: 4-6, 6-1 and 7-6 (9) after 2h.24′ of playing and saving three match-balls.
After losing in the first round, Sabalenka, 26 years old and certainly the player with the strongest punches on the circuit, reacted on the Roman clay: she not only leveled the match with a resounding 6-1, but even went ahead he at 5 -3 in the third set and served to win with 5-4 in his favor.
However, Svitolina, world no. Sabalenka saved the day and forced a final tiebreak, where she lifted the third match-ball at 6-7 before sealing victory with her second match point.
Sabalenka’s difficulties once again highlight the high competitive capacity of Svitolina, at 29 years old again at a high level after the professional break she took to become a mother with her husband, also a tennis player. Gael Monfilsboth parents of a girl since October 2022.
Sabalenka will look for her place in the semifinals on Wednesday against the Latvian Jelena Ostapenko (10th), which he lost in his two previous matches. On the horizon appears the desired final against No. 1 in the ranking, Iga Swiatekwhich he has already fought in the recent and sensational final of Mutua Madrid opens: The Pole wins after 3h.11′ of the match and three match-balls in favor of Aryna.
Sabalenka was then one point away from another title in Madrid and now she is one point away from a premature farewell to Rome. The situation was tense and the two sides of tennis separated in just a few days.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Robert Maynard, and I am a passionate journalist with experience in sports writing. For the last few years, I have been writing for Today Times Live. My main focus has been on sports-related stories and features. With my strong background in journalism and extensive knowledge of the industry, I am able to provide readers with well-crafted pieces that are both informative and engaging.
