Berlin Open: Sabalenka beats Rybakina with ‘crazy comeback', enters semifinal
Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka staged a 'crazy comeback', saving four match points before beating Elena Rybakina 7-6, 3-6, 7-6 in the quarterfinals of the Berlin Open tennis tournament on Friday.
Sabalenka was 6-2 down in the final-set tiebreak but came storming back, winning six straight points to reach her eighth semifinal of the season.
'Elena is a great player and we've had a lot of tough battles,' Sabalenka said. 'I have no idea how I was able to win those last points. I think I just got lucky.
ALSO READ: Nottingham Open — Boulter's hat-trick bid ends after loss to Kessler
'I remember a long time ago when I was just starting, I won a lot of matches being down match points, and not so long ago I was thinking that it's been a while since I've made a crazy comeback, and here I am.
'It's amazing to win matches like that. I'm proud of myself for how I stayed in it. I was fighting, I was trying until the very last point.'
Sabalenka next faces Marketa Vondrousova, who defeated Ons Jabeur 6-4, 6-1.
Liudmila Samsonova also went through with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Amanda Anisimova.
Samsonova will next meet Wang Xinyu after her opponent, Paula Badosa, was forced to withdraw due to a rib injury after losing the first set 6-1.
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The Hindu
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Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka staged a 'crazy comeback', saving four match points before beating Elena Rybakina 7-6, 3-6, 7-6 in the quarterfinals of the Berlin Open tennis tournament on Friday. Sabalenka was 6-2 down in the final-set tiebreak but came storming back, winning six straight points to reach her eighth semifinal of the season. 'Elena is a great player and we've had a lot of tough battles,' Sabalenka said. 'I have no idea how I was able to win those last points. I think I just got lucky. ALSO READ: Nottingham Open — Boulter's hat-trick bid ends after loss to Kessler 'I remember a long time ago when I was just starting, I won a lot of matches being down match points, and not so long ago I was thinking that it's been a while since I've made a crazy comeback, and here I am. 'It's amazing to win matches like that. I'm proud of myself for how I stayed in it. I was fighting, I was trying until the very last point.' Sabalenka next faces Marketa Vondrousova, who defeated Ons Jabeur 6-4, 6-1. Liudmila Samsonova also went through with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Amanda Anisimova. Samsonova will next meet Wang Xinyu after her opponent, Paula Badosa, was forced to withdraw due to a rib injury after losing the first set 6-1.
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