Aryna Sabalenka explains how she blew six match points in shock Madrid Open loss | Tennis | Sport

She looked on her way to another victory as she held six match points against Hailey Baptiste in their Madrid quarter-final – five as Baptiste served to stay in the match at 5-4 in the final set, and one more in the tiebreak. But the American saved them all and earned the biggest win of her career, beating Sabalenka 2-6 6-2 7-6(6).

And Sabalenka has now credited the world No. 32 for being “brave” while saving those match points. “It was a tough match. She played great. I played great,” the three-time former champion in Madrid said.

“I think I had some opportunities in the third set. I felt like I was maybe a little bit rushing the point over there. But it’s okay, sometimes I guess you have to learn, take the bad stuff from this week and move on.

Addressing those six missed match points, Sabalenka added: “I think she played great points. I mean, I had some opportunities, didn’t use them. She played really brave tennis, I feel like, on those match points.”

The four-time Grand Slam champion beat Baptiste 6-4 6-4 in the same stage of the Miami Open last month, but felt she gave the American more opportunities in their match at the Caja Magica.

“I feel like in Miami I didn’t give her much opportunities. She couldn’t break my serve, I believe,” Sabalenka explained. “Here, the first game, second set, I just double faulted twice out of nowhere. It felt like that gave her belief. After that, she just started playing more aggressively. She, as I said, she was playing brave tennis. What can I say? Well done.”

Baptiste, meanwhile, later explained that she had to take risks while saving match points at 4-5 in the decider. The 24-year-old tried out the serve and volley – and it worked. “The plan kind of comes to my head when I get to the line sometimes,” she laughed.

“That was what my brain was telling me to do, so that’s what I did. And it worked. Doesn’t always work, but in that moment, it did. I was really happy with that.

“I think it was an uncomfortable situation for her, me serving and volleying and doing, hitting a dropshot, I think, in maybe one of the match points I did. So, yeah, I mean, it’s not the easiest position to put her in, which is kind of the plan.”