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World number one Aryna Sabalenka staged a comeback in the second set to secure her place in the semi-finals of the Miami Open, winning 6-2, 7-5 against China's Zheng Qinwen on Tuesday.
This victory marks Sabalenka's first appearance in the Miami semi-finals, where she will face Italy’s Jasmine Paolini for a spot in the finals. Initially, it appeared that the match would go smoothly for the Belarusian, as she comfortably claimed the first set. However, Zheng made adjustments between sets and came out strong, breaking Sabalenka twice to take a 4-2 lead in the second set.
In a tense moment at 0-40 down, Sabalenka channeled her frustration and fought back to level the score at 4-4, subsequently unleashing her aggression for a powerful finish. With her fierce returns, the top seed broke serve to lead 6-5, then confidently held her serve to seal the match.
“Honestly every match is tough against her, I always have to work really hard to get the win and today was an incredible level from both of us,” Sabalenka remarked. “I’m super happy to get this win. I’m super happy with the way I managed all the emotions and dealt with the pressure,” she added.
Earlier, Jasmine Paolini advanced to the semi-finals after defeating Poland’s Magda Linette 6-3, 6-2. Paolini, who reached the finals at Wimbledon and the French Open last year, becomes the first Italian woman to reach the last four in Miami.
It took only 77 minutes for Paolini to triumph over Linette, who had surprised many by reaching the quarter-finals after defeating Coco Gauff. A delay due to heavy rain did not affect the sixth-seeded Paolini, who played dominantly from the beginning. Paolini, seeking her second title at the WTA 1000 level following her victory in Dubai last year, expressed confidence, stating that she felt her form would eventually yield results.
“I think I didn’t play badly this season, but I just didn’t achieve great results. However, I was there. I lost many matches, but against strong opponents,” she explained. “It was tough, but I kept reminding myself that I was present – perhaps I just needed a bit more confidence, and it has come here, maybe,” she added.
In Wednesday's quarter-finals, second seed Iga Swiatek will compete against wild card teenager Alexandra Eala from the Philippines, who has already defeated Australian Open champion Madison Keys. Britain’s Emma Raducanu, enjoying her best performance since her US Open win in 2021, will face American fourth seed Jessica Pegula.
