Libema Open: Aryna Sabalenka moves into SF; Belinda Bencic crashes out

Aryna Sabalenka needed two hours and five minutes to win in her quarter-final match at the Libema Open on Friday. The tournament top seed defeated Alison Van Uytvanck 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(5) to reach the penultimate round of the WTA event in Sā€™Hertogenbosch.

Both players won a similar percentage of points off their first serves ā€“ Sabalenka won 72.9% of her first-serve points to Van Uytvanck winning 72.6%. However, the points each won off their second serves, eventually helped turn the match around in Sabalenkaā€™s favour. The world no. 6 won around 54% of her second-serve points to the Belgianā€™s 35%. Sabalenka saved two of the four break points she faced while converting three of the five break points on Van Uytvanckā€™s serve.

For a place in the final, Sabalenka will play Shelby Rogers next. The American got past Van Uytvanckā€™s compatriot, Kirsten Flipkens in their quarter-final match. Rogers came from a set down to win 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 in two hours and 13 minutes.

Libema Open: Ekaterina Alexandrova’s routing finish

Rogers won 68% of her first-serve points to Flipkensā€™ 61%. Of the two, it was, however, Flipkens who was able to get better traction off her second-serve points ā€“ 61% to Rogersā€™ 51%. In terms of break point conversions, Rogers faced six break points and saved four of these while converting four of the 10 break points she had on Flipkensā€™ serve.

Meanwhile, in the bottom half of the draw, seventh seed Ekaterina Alexandrova wrapped up a 6-0, 6-1 win against Cathy McNally in just 43 minutes. Alexandrova won 83% of her first-serve points to the Americanā€™s 35% and 72% of her second-serve points to the latterā€™s 27%. She didnā€™t face a single break point on her serve and converted five of the six break point chances she had on McNallyā€™s serve.

Alexandrova will play sixth seed Veronika Kudermetova for a chance to reach the Libema Open final. Kudermetova ousted second seed Belinda Bencic, 6-4, 6-2 in their quarter-final clash in an hour and 27 minutes.Ā