Sabalenka prevails over Kostyuk to complete quarterfinal lineup in Rome

Rome, May 13 (IANS) Aryna Sabalenka got through a dramatic tiebreak set to get past Marta Kostyuk 6-1, 7-6(8) in two hours and five minutes on Campo Centrale, completing the quarterfinal lineup at the Italian Open.

After a routine first set for the World No. 1, Sabalenka and Kostyuk put on a thrilling display in the second set. Sabalenka fought back from 5-3 down before edging past Kostyuk and increasing her head-to-head lead to 4-0.

Sabalenka stayed strong when facing break points, stopping the match from getting more difficult. She saved the first 12 break points before Kostyuk finally took her 13th chance. Kostyuk then led 5-3 and served for the second set. But her lead didn’t last long—Sabalenka broke back easily, winning the game without losing a point, and kept the set going.

In the second-set tiebreak, Kostyuk even had a set point at 7-6, but Sabalenka saved it with a strong forehand winner. The tiebreak continued, and on her third match point at 9-8, Sabalenka finally won with a clever drop shot, according to the WTA.

Sabalenka will next face No. 8 seed Zheng Qinwen of China for a spot in the semifinals. Sabalenka has beaten Zheng all six times they have previously played, including the 2024 Australian Open final, as well as the Miami Open quarterfinals less than two months ago.

Sabalenka has already reached six finals this season, the most by a player before Roland Garros since 2013. If she makes a seventh final in Rome, she will join Chris Evert (1986), Steffi Graf (1989 and 1994), and Monica Seles (1991) as the only players to make 7 or more WTA finals before Roland Garros in the last 40 years, according to WTA stats.

Including her titles at Miami and Madrid, Sabalenka has won her last 15 matches at WTA 1000 events. She has also become the first player to reach the quarterfinals at Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid, and Rome in a single season since Carla Suarez Navarro in 2015.

--IANS

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