Jennifer Brady to face Sabalenka in Ostrava semis
Third-seeded Aryna Sabalenka recovered from a slow start to defeat Sara Sorribes Tormo.
Published : Oct 24, 2020 10:51 IST
Third-seeded Aryna Sabalenka recovered from a slow start to stage a big comeback, defeating qualifier Sara Sorribes Tormo 0-6, 6-4, 6-0 in the Ostrava Open quarterfinals.
The 73rd-ranked Sorribes Tormo from Spain was cruising at 6-0, 4-0 up until the 12th-ranked Sabalenka found her rhythm to rally and win 12 straight games.
The Belarusian will play U.S.’s Jennifer Brady, who also needed to come from a set behind to overcome Russian qualifier Veronika Kudermetova 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-1 to book a place in her fourth semifinal in 2020, including the US Open.
Azarenka beats Mertens
Also, fourth-seeded Victoria Azarenka knocked out seventh-seeded Elise Mertens 6-4, 6-1.
Mertens started strong, taking a 4-2 lead in the opening set before Azarenka came back to beat the Belgian in straight sets as she did at the US Open a month ago.
At that tournament, the Belarusian two-time Grand Slam champion reached the final.
Azarenka will face Greek Maria Sakkari, who rallied from a set down to eliminate Ons Jabeur of Tunisia 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 to make her second semis of the season.
The indoor hard-court event was added to the WTA tour after tournaments in China were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.