Aryna Sabalenka clinched her biggest win of the year on Saturday as she defeated No. 2 seed Paula Badosa 7-6 (5) 6-4 to progress into the Stuttgart final.
Sabalenka found herself 5-2 down in the first set but being on the verge of losing the first set actually helped her as she started playing much better after realizing she had nothing to lose.
Sabalenka was 5-4 down in the first set tie-break, before winning three consecutive points to win a tight opener.
Sabalenka got broken in the opening game of the second set but responded by breaking Badosa in the second and 10th games to overturn the early second set deficit and complete a straight-set win.
“In the beginning, I couldn’t find my rhythm, and then there was like nothing to lose,” Sabalenka said, per the WTA website. “She was up with a break. I kind of told myself in that game, ‘You have to work through it, you have to run and get everything you can, and just put her under pressure in that game.’ I did it well and I broke her back.
“That gave me a little bit more power and motivation to keep fighting for this set. And then with every point I played, I was feeling better and better, and I found my rhythm. But it was a tough match. There were a lot of break points for her, for me. It was ups and downs, and I am super happy that I was able to win this one.”
Sabalenka on facing Iga Swiatek
These days the hardest task in tennis is beat new world No. 1 Swiatek.
Sabalenka claimed a three-set win over Swiatek at the WTA Finals last year but the Pole claimed a routine 6-2 6-3 win over the Belarusian when they met in Doha in February.
Swiatek has won her 22 matches but Sabalenka says she is ready for a good fight on the court.
“That [Doha] match surprised me because [Swiatek] played super fast and super aggressive,” said Sabalenka. “In that match I was surprised in every point she was making.
“Now as she won three titles in a row, that’s not going to surprise me. I’ll be ready for this game, and I’ll be ready for a fight, and the winners she’s going to make are not going to surprise me. I think mentally that’s going to give me a little power to compete, no matter what.”