Mutua Madrid Open 2021, Madrid, Spain, WTA 1000

[the AntiPusher]

Well she got her clay chops back after receiving a bagel from Muchova in the first set.Going to a decider

It was a good match Muchova was able to regroup and capture the W.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

It was a good match Muchova was able to regroup and capture the W.

Well Sakkari had the chance to serve it out,Muchova has been the dark horse in this tournament and has made the q/finals

 

[Moxie]

That was a topsy-turvy affair. So bummed Sakkari lost, tbh, but she had her chance.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Q/final Matches Wednesday 5th May,
Manolo Santana Stadium
Not before 1pm,

Ash Barty (1) vs Petra Kvitova (9)
Petra leads their H2H 5-4 last meeting 2020 S/F Doha on HC,Petra won in 3 sets.

Not Before 7pm,

Aryna Sabalenka (5) vs Elise Mertens (13)
Aryna leads H2H 3-2 last meeting 2020 Rd 16 Dubai HC,Aruna winning in straight sets.

Arantxa Sanchez Stadium
Starting at 11am,

Paula Badosa (WC) vs Belinda Bencic (8)
H2H Paula 1-0 last meeting Charleston 2021 Clay Paula won in 3 sets 2nd Rd.

Not before 3pm,
Anastasia Pavlyuchencova vs Karolina Muchova
H2H Anastasia leads 1-0 their only meeting 2019 Moscow HC S/F,Anastasia won in 3 sets.

 

[Moxie]

Barty v. Kvitova has to be the match of the day.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Barty v. Kvitova has to be the match of the day.

Their matches usually go 3 sets.Ash said Petra always brings out the 'best in her' they are great friends.

 

[Moxie]

Their matches usually go 3 sets.Ash said Petra always brings out the 'best in her' they are great friends.

We're headed to a 3rd now. Kvitova didn't even show up until the 2nd set, but she's playing great right now.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

I just got home from work and will watch Ash's match later.....going to script their matches usually go 3 sets
Oi,Oi,Oi, Ash is into the semis!

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Sabalenka giving Mertens a tennis lesson won the 1st set 61 and just got a break early in the 2nd set.I have to mute her she 'howls' too much for my liking.
Bad luck to Mertens she retired in the 2nd set,she had put in the hard yards this week too,defeating No3 seed Halep in her previous match,where she played such a high level.
Sabalenka wins by retirement 61 4-0.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Results of Q/final matches,
A.Barty (1) d P.Kvitova (9) 61 36 63
A.Pavlyuchenkova d K.Muchova 76(4) 76 (2) good to see Pavs playing well this week,she is one of the purest strikers of the ball on the WTA tour.
P.Badosa (WC) d B/Bencic (8) 64 75
A.Sabalenka (5) wins by retirement over E.Mertens (13) 61 40.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

S/Final matches Thursday 6th May,

Manolo Santana Stadium
Not before 1pm,

A.Barty (1) vs P.Badosa (WC)
H2H Paula leads 1-0 their only meeting on clay at the Volvo Car Open Charleston 2021.Paula won in straight sets.

Not before 8.30pm,

A.Sabalenka (5) vs A.Pavlyuchenkova
H2H Anastasia leads 1-0 on HC in 2019 Rogers Cup,won in 3 sets.This is their first meeting on clay.

 

[Moxie]

What's with Badosa? She is, according to Spanish media, the first Spanish woman to reach SFs here. Chances against Ash?

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

What's with Badosa? She is, according to Spanish media, the first Spanish woman to reach SFs here. Chances against Ash?

Paula beat Ash at Charleston the other week in straight sets on clay....We Gonna See No?.....

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Ash Barty extended her clay wining streak to 16 with a straight sets defeat of WC Paula Badosa 64 63.Badosa defeated Barty in February at the Charleston tournament in straight sets.Ash will play the winner of Sabalenka or Pavlyuchenkova in the final.

On Monday 10th May,Ash Barty will be the first No 1 WTA player since Serena Williams on 25th October 2015 with more than 10,000 points in the ranking.....well done Ash!

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Aryna Sabalenka too strong today against Anastasia Pavlyuchencova winning 62 63.
For the 2nd straight tournament Ash and Aryna will battle it out in the final.

 

[Moxie]

Aryna Sabalenka too strong today against Anastasia Pavlyuchencova winning 62 63.
For the 2nd straight tournament Ash and Aryna will battle it out in the final.

I see that. Ash won in 3 in Stuttgart. Barty is looking tough, but so is Sabalenka. Think Aryna can turn it around on her?

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

I see that. Ash won in 3 in Stuttgart. Barty is looking tough, but so is Sabalenka. Think Aryna can turn it around on her?

Aryna needs to keep 'more controlled aggression' with her shots and not make too many UFE against Ash,.Ash will mix it up with her variety of shots,last time the match went 3 sets.,

 

[Jelenafan]

Sabalenka is having a good spring reaching yet another final with a win over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-2, 6-3.

Have to watch a repeat of the match because the stats are saying Anastasia had 64 % first serves , a very respectable number, but only won 45% of her first serves as opposed to 77% of her second serves. ?? So either Sabalenka was on fire with her returns or AP was simply serving softballs.

Have to hand it to Pavlyuchenkova in that she's the perennial little engine that could, when you least expect it she surprises with a good QTR or SF run at a big tournament such as this one.

I double checked and realized Anastasia is still "only" 29,and I thought that can't be right...she seems to have been playing forever. Fondly remember her from a 2006 World Team Tennis event I attended in Sacramento to watch Sampras play and Anastasia was the Nets woman's singles player, she had just turned 15. She was soooo young... ; )

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

For the 2nd straight tournament Ash Barty and Aryna Sabalebka will battle out in the final in Madrid
Ash has stretched her winning streak to nine matches and has I have posted after her win in her s/final against Paula Badosa,Ash on the 10th May will be the first WTA No1 player since Serena Williams on 25th October,2015,with more than 10,000 points in the ranking.Posters on this site have critised Ash for her ranking,because she did not play last year,that was her decision and it was not her fault.that the WTA revised their rankings and points system.They were plenty of points to be had with Ash not playing,the players involved Halep and Osaka,could have overtaken the No1 ranking but they did not.

Aryna has not dropped a set on her way to the final.
Ash leads their H2H 4-3.Ash Barty is the first player (man or woman) to win 3 tour level titles so far in 2021.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Manolo Santana Stadium,
Starting at 1.30pm

Ladies Doubles Final,

(2) B.Krejcikova (CZE) / K.Siniakova (CZE) vs (3) G.Dabrowski (CAN) / D.Schuurs (NED).

Ladies Singles Final,
Not before 6.30pm,

A/Barty (1) vs A.Sabalenka (5)