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Sabalenka Escapes Stearns' Trap and Advances to Madrid Quarterfinals

Aryna Sabalenka continues her run in Madrid. The world No. 1, who reached the finals of both Indian Wells and Miami WTA 1000 events (winning the title in Florida), hopes to extend her strong form after making the last two finals in Spain.

Following her victories over Anna Blinkova (6-3, 6-4) and Elise Mertens (3-6, 6-2, 6-1), Sabalenka faced Peyton Stearns for a spot in the quarterfinals. In their only previous meeting at Indian Wells last year, Sabalenka saved four match points before eventually winning in a third-set tiebreak.

This time, the match was less tight, though not as straightforward as the scoreline suggests (6-2, 6-4). Stearns bravely fought for her chances, creating 14 break opportunities in total (converting just one). Meanwhile, Sabalenka was clinical (4 breaks from 7 chances) to ultimately seal the win in straight sets.

The Belarusian remains in contention for a third Madrid title and will face either Marta Kostyuk or Anastasia Potapova as she bids to reach a third consecutive semifinal in the Spanish capital.