{"id":612243,"date":"2026-04-29T00:35:12","date_gmt":"2026-04-29T00:35:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/612243\/"},"modified":"2026-04-29T00:35:12","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T00:35:12","slug":"madrid-open-wta-quarterfinals-round-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/612243\/","title":{"rendered":"Madrid Open WTA Quarterfinals Round-up"},"content":{"rendered":"

The first two quarterfinals have been played out at the
\nMadrid Open<\/a>. Incredibly, one top 10 player remains \u2013 and that is not Aryna
\nSabalenka. The world number one and reigning champion relinquishes her title
\nafter missing six match points enroute to a devastating 2-6, 6-2, 7-6(6)<\/a> loss
\nto a brilliant Hailey Baptiste.<\/p>\n

After a positive start, Sabalenka quickly found herself one set all against the American. She would go on to miss a handful of match points late on, including one in the tiebreak, right before Baptiste capped off a thriller of a tie and the biggest win in her tennis career.<\/p>\n

Baptiste stuns Sabalenka on the big stage<\/p>\n

The signs early on were not for great reading if you were in
\nthe Baptiste camp. A hold to love to kick off proceedings was swiftly
\ncompounded by a break of serve. Baptiste managed to get on the board with a
\nhold to love herself, but there was no pathway onto the Sabalenka serve who
\ndropped just two points in her opening three service games.<\/p>\n

It could have gotten worse for Baptiste but pinned against
\nthe wall she came out with no more lasting damage. The gap again closed to two
\ngames with the 24-year-old eyeing up a chance. She earned two break points of
\nher own in a very long game, but a pair of clutch Sabalenka aces ended those
\nfleeting dreams. She edged one game away from confirming the first set, sealing
\nit on her opponents serve.<\/p>\n

While on paper it looked simple, Sabalenka pictured a
\nfrustrated figure at times on court, not happy when she was unable to complete shot,
\nmirroring her high standards set. This was again showcased in the flesh as a
\ndouble fault gifted Baptiste a cheap break. The American backed this up with a hold
\nbefore breaking again, stunning the three-time champion.<\/p>\n

Sabalenka made an effort to get back level. She got one of
\nthe breaks back to make it 4-2. It was a great ordeal with her clinching it the
\nfifth time of asking. She was then broken for the third time in the set with
\nher serving not even close to the expected levels normally seen. Baptiste was a
\nhuge outside before the match started but now forced Sabalenka into a deciding
\nset.<\/p>\n

Baptiste had played a sensational set of tennis, but her
\nform would slightly dip as a resurgent Sabalenka came charging back. She held
\nto love before breaking thanks to an untimely double fault by her opponent,
\nopening the door for a slender advantage.<\/p>\n

Emphasis on the world slender, as it was set to be swiftly
\nabolished. Baptiste broke back and levelled at 2-2. She then soared into a 0-40
\nlead, but Sabalenka reeled her back in. The sense that a huge opportunity had
\nbeen missed as the four-time Grand Slam champion won five points on the trot to
\nmove 3-2 to the good.<\/p>\n

\"BaptisteMadrid\"\/<\/p>\n

Hailey Baptiste is into a first WTA 1000 semi-final<\/p>\n

More breaks of serve continued to dominate the narrative in
\nthis match. Baptiste moved 4-3 ahead with a break to love and put herself in a
\ncommanding position. Sabalenka was ruthless, getting straight back level to
\nhalt any momentum the world number 32 would have cherished. Sabalenka moved 5-4
\nin front, with match winning opportunities on the way. All five were coped
\nwith, and the match plodded on.<\/p>\n

Those match points will give Sabalenka restless nights for
\nsome time. Baptiste broke instantly after and now had the chance to serve it
\nout. She fluffed her lines and a tiebreak was needed to split these two
\nwarriors. Sabalenka had a sixth chance to see out the match but it was again spurned. Baptiste was then afforded the chance to win, and took it impeccably. In a rematch from the Miami Open quarterfinal just over a month ago, it is Baptiste who finds her revenge and reigns the rule of Sabalenka in Madrid for another year.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Early birthday present for Andreeva <\/p>\n

Mirra Andreeva and Leylah Fernandez played out a very topsy
\nturvey match where the advantage kept swinging from one player to another. In
\nthe end, it was the soon to be birthday girl who confirmed a third WTA 1000
\nsemi-final with a 7-6(1), 6-3 triumph.<\/p>\n

After the emotion and turbulence from a traumatic match against
\nAnna Bondar the day before, Andreeva was hoping for a much simpler victory which
\nwould see her continue the fine clay swing she was enjoying. Already with a title
\nsecured in Linz, she was one of just two top 10 players remaining in a wide-open
\nfield. Fernandez was very much hoping to capitalise on this with the former US
\nOpen finalist finally finding a patch of form following from a troubling start
\nto 2026.<\/p>\n

In contrast, she was the faster out of the blocks. The
\nAndreeva serve was very vulnerable early on. That can be pictured by four break
\nopportunities Fernandez had in the second game alone. They were all squandered,
\nbut two games later the Canadian had a 3-1 lead.<\/p>\n

It was short lived as back came Andreeva. She got back on
\nlevel terms as the match headed into a hugely dramatic and ultimately pivotal
\nperiod. Andreeva believed that her chance may have come and gone with four
\nbreak points all not converted. However, Fernandez would one-up her, spurning
\nthree set points in the next set. That may have played a part in the tiebreak
\nwhich Andreeva had no problem winning with ease.<\/p>\n

The second set commenced with four consecutive breaks of
\nserve. After all that trouble the pair had in the latter stages of the first
\nset, this was a welcoming break on some circumstances.<\/p>\n

\"mirra-andreeva-win-celebration-madrid-open-semi-finals-2026\"\/<\/p>\n

Mirra Andreeva celebrating the victory in the game, she raises her arms during the Mutua Madrid Open reaching her first Madrid semifinal<\/p>\n

Andreeva would have been feeling the better concluding it,
\nbreaking back on two occasions. She then ended this theme with a confident hold
\nto love. She would lose just one more game, upping the tempo as Fernandez\u2019s
\nlevel started to drop off slightly. However, she was still a threat. After failing
\nto take another two break points, Andreeva stamped her authority by sailing
\ninto a 5-3 lead before wrapping it up with her second match point.<\/p>\n

At the end of the day, this match was there for the taking
\nfor both players. Only three break points converted from a possible 15 was grim
\nreading for Fernandez. Her first serve percentage was also a little down on Andreeva\u2019s
\nat 51% compared to 64%. Overall, Andreeva proved to have the credentials needed
\nto seal another WTA 1000 semi-final. The last two times that happened she went
\non to win the tournament.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n