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Sabalenka needed only 1 hour, 19 minutes to
dispatch Andreeva. Meanwhile, Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina, the
No. 4 seed, had a much tougher time with countrywoman Yulia
Putintseva, taking 2 hours, 48 minutes to escape with a 4-6, 7-6
(4), 7-5 win in another quarterfinal match.
Rybakina saved two match points while facing a 5-2 deficit in
the third set to win her eighth consecutive match. She is now
30-4 on the season.
"I was not there with the legs definitely in the match," said
Rybakina, now 1-2 in her career against Putintseva. "She's a
tough opponent. She's a fighter, and she was playing well.
"In the third set, it was very quick when I started to lose
these three games in a row, 5-2 down. After that, I think I just
didn't have any more emotions, no frustration or nothing. I was
just going for every point. Was trying to do what I (was)
supposed to do, and then whatever happens happened."
With Putintseva leading 5-2 in the third set, Rybakina used a
drop shot to fight off the first match point and an ace to get
past the second. She then won seven straight points and 19 of
the next 23 en route to beating the resilient Putintseva on her
fourth match point.
Rybakina led 6-0 in aces but also had eight double faults to
Putintseva's two.
Rybakina's next opponent, defending champion Sabalenka, repeated
history in her match on Wednesday. Sabalenka had defeated
Andreeva, then 16, in the fourth round of the 2023 Madrid Open,
6-3, 6-1.
Andreeva faced the same fate this year, as Sabalenka never faced
a break point. Sabalenka lost only 14 points in nine service
games and recorded 35 winners to 13 unforced errors.
"I'm super happy with the level I played today, and with this
win," Sabalenka said Wednesday. "She's an incredible player even
though she's super young. Conditions suit me well, and
hopefully, I can just keep going the way that I'm going."
Andreeva saved 2 of 5 break-point opportunities and won 31 of 58
total service points.
Sabalenka is attempting to win her third Madrid title, with
Petra Kvitova being the only other woman to accomplish that
feat.
--Field Level Media
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