(Madrid) World No.2 Aryna Sabalenka will play a second straight final on clay after her 6-4, 6-1 victory against Greece’s Maria Sakkari (9e) on Thursday in the semi-finals of the WTA 1000 tournament in Madrid.
Sabalenka had already reached the final of the Stuttgart tournament, but lost to world No.1 Iga Swiatek 6-3, 6-4 on April 23.
Swiatek could be her opponent again in the final on Saturday in the Spanish capital: the 21-year-old Polish is opposed to the Russian Veronika Kudermetova (13e) in the second semi-final, scheduled for the end of the evening.
Three weeks before Roland-Garros (May 28-June 11), Sabalenka, crowned Grand Slam for the first time at the Australian Open in January, confirms her very good form in 2023: the Belarusian, who will celebrate her 25th birthday on Friday , reached his fifth final of the season (for two titles) in seven contested tournaments.
Sabalenka has already won the title at Madrid in 2021.