Hailey Baptiste vented her frustrations during a dramatic tiebreak, in which she squandered multiple match points against 11th seed Belinda Bencic in Madrid. The American appeared on course for victory and held a match point at 6-5 in the second set, before further opportunities slipped away in the tiebreak.
Baptiste failed to convert her fifth match point while serving at 11-10 in the tense tiebreak. On the very next point, she hit a double fault to hand Bencic a set point, then slammed her tennis racket into the ground three times before bending it over her knee.
The co-commentator responded: “Absolutely understandable reaction from Hailey Baptiste. Three of the match points in this tiebreak have been double faults. Purely mental. Well, this reaction could help to release that tension.”
The chair umpire issued a code violation for racket abuse against Baptiste, who had already received a time violation. However, Bencic also failed to capitalize on a set point on her serve, and the tiebreak pressed on.
A sixth match point came and went for No. 30 seed Baptiste, before Bencic ultimately converted her sixth set point to claim the grueling 95-minute second set 7-6(14), forcing a decisive third set.
Baptiste had already caused a major upset in Madrid, eliminating sixth seed Jasmine Paolini in the third round over the weekend. She appeared poised to claim another high-profile victory against Bencic, before being pushed into a deciding third set.
However, the 24 year old regrouped impressively, securing a crucial break in the sixth game of the final set to seize control. Baptiste then maintained her momentum to seal a commanding 6-1 6-7(14) 6-3 triumph.
Having reached her first WTA 1000 quarter-final last month in Miami, Baptiste has wasted no time in matching that achievement by defeating Bencic.
She now faces a formidable challenge in the last eight, with either world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka or former No. 1 Naomi Osaka standing in her way. Notably, Baptiste fell to Sabalenka in Miami just last month.