{"id":73420,"date":"2021-11-14T14:46:12","date_gmt":"2021-11-14T14:46:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/en.bornomalanews.com\/?p=73420"},"modified":"2021-11-14T14:46:12","modified_gmt":"2021-11-14T14:46:12","slug":"badosa-secures-wta-semi-final-berth-sabalenka-ends-swiatek-hopes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/en.bornomalanews.com\/?p=73420","title":{"rendered":"Badosa secures WTA semi-final berth, Sabalenka ends Swiatek hopes"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Sports Desk:<\/strong> Spain's Paula Badosa fired 10 aces in a 7-6 (7\/4), 6-4 round-robin victory over Maria Sakkari Saturday and secured a semi-final spot at the season-ending WTA Finals.<\/p>\n

With one round-robin match remaining, Badosa was assured of top spot in her group when top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus defeated Iga Swiatek 2-6, 6-2, 7-5.<\/p>\n

Poland's Swiatek was eliminated from semi-final contention, and Monday's match between Sabalenka and Sakkari will determine the second semi-finalist from the group.<\/p>\n

Badosa, whose late season run of form included her biggest title to date at the pandemic-delayed hardcourt tournament in Indian Wells in October, had already posted a convincing victory over Sabalenka to open group play.<\/p>\n

Saturday's clash between Badosa and Sakkari, the first Greek to qualify for the finals, was the first meeting between the two.<\/p>\n

Badosa needed just over two hours to stretch her current WTA winning streak to eight matches. After eking out the first-set tiebreaker, she grabbed an early break on the way to a 3-1 lead in the second set.<\/p>\n

Unable to capitalize on a string of break chances in the fifth game, Badosa was broken herself as Sakkari knotted the set at 4-4.<\/p>\n

Badosa responded immediately with a break for 5-4 and a chance to serve out the match, sealing it with a backhand winner on her third match point.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

“I think it was quite a tough match,” said Badosa, who was assured of a semi-final spot when Sabalenka took the second set off Swiatek in their later match.<\/p>\n

\n

“I served well, I fight for every point. I think I stayed aggressive. I was moving well.<\/p>\n

“When you win these kind of matches, I think you have to do a little bit of everything well. I think the key was a little bit in the important moments, I was quite brave and I played very good.”<\/p>\n

Sabalenka overcame 16 double faults to keep her hopes alive in the elite season finale, which was moved to Guadalajara from Shenzhen, China, because of the coronavirus pandemic.<\/p>\n

She surrendered the opening set with a double fault on set point, but stepped up her service game in a second set in which she broke Swiatek twice without dropping her own serve — levelling the match with a service winner on set point.<\/p>\n

After breaking Swiatek for a 2-1 lead in the third set Sabalenka was broken back on another double fault.<\/p>\n

But Swiatek couldn't capitalize on Sabalenka's inconsistency. Sabalenka broke for a 6-5 lead and with a chance to serve for the match she didn't falter, closing it out with a service winner.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sports Desk: Spain’s Paula Badosa fired 10 aces in a 7-6 (7\/4), 6-4 round-robin victory over Maria Sakkari Saturday and secured a semi-final spot at the season-ending WTA Finals. With one round-robin match remaining, Badosa was assured of top spot in her group when top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus defeated Iga Swiatek 2-6, 6-2, 7-5. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":73421,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[8],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\t\n