Mutua Madrid Open: Sabalenka does not tremble before Sakkari and will fight for the title

The Belarusian player Aryna Sabalenkanumber two in the world, will play this Saturday the Final of the Mutua Madrid Openin search of his second title in the Caja Mágica, after winning this Thursday in the Semifinals against the Greek Maria Sakkari, ninth in the WTA ranking, by 6-4 and 6-1, in one hour and 26 minutes.

Sabalenka, winner in Madrid in 2021, will face her fifth Final this season, after those of Adelaide and the australian openwhich he won, and those of Indian Wells and Stuttgart, where he fell.

Sakkari, on the other hand, once again stayed on the border of the Semifinals, the pending account of his career: 7 wins and 22 losses with today's.

If in the nocturnal session of this Thursday the Polish Iga Swiatek prevails over the Russian Veronika Kudermetova, the world numbers one and two will meet in a Final for the second consecutive tournament, after meeting two weeks ago in the decisive match in Stuttgart, in which Swiatek won, 6-3 and 6- 4.

There were eight previous meetings between Sabalenka and Sakkari, with the Belarusian leading by 5 wins to 3. But they had never played on clay and Madrid gave them the opportunity on a warm afternoon.

The number two in the world andThey started strong and went ahead 3-0. However, Sakkari returned the break in the fifth, before a sixth game of maximum tension in which there were six advantage situations, with four 'break' points for the Belarusian, before the Athenian managed to keep her serve.

Although she doubled her rival in winners, Sabalenka made gestures of not being entirely satisfied with her game. Even so, when she flipped to the right of her it was hard to stop.

At 5-4, Sakkari was forced to serve well to stay alive in the set. But she could not withstand the pressure of her rival, who masterfully subtracted and disarmed the Greek with the power of her right hand.

The Hellenic player, with only one title in her career, did not achieve the necessary consistency at the beginning of the second set to level the clash. She gave up a serve again (3-1), lost her aim, with balls that sought the corners but went long or stayed in the net.

He put another break on a tray for Sabalenka, who at 5-1 gave up two break points to Sakkari. Even so, the Greek could not return to the match, she gave her opponent the first match point with a long return and delivered the clash with a return out.

Sabalenka won the 2021 title in Madrid after beating the then world number one, the Australian, in the final Ashleigh Barty. Now, if his rival next Saturday is Swiatek, he will have the opportunity to try again.

Before the Madrid Semifinal, Sakkari lost this season in Linz, Qatar and Indian Wells. She herself jokes about it saying that she crashes “again and again against that wall”.

(With information from EFE)