“I’m super happy about this win,” said Sabalenka, struggling for words: “The final will be a great fight, I’m looking forward to it.”
Against Magda Linette, she always managed to show her best tennis at decisive moments.
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An early break by the 30-year-old Pole, who had never been in a Grand Slam semifinal before, equalized the Belarusian to make it 2-2. Everything stayed in line until the tie break, but Sabalenka clearly won 7:1.
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Magda Linette – The Best of Magda Linette
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Sabalenka turns up in set two
“I didn’t start well but finally found my rhythm in the tie-break,” she said.
Linette struggled and was broken twice in set two to make it 1: 2 and 1: 4. In Sabalenka’s following service game, the world number 45. then three break chances pass – the preliminary decision.
After 93 minutes of play, the 24-year-old used her fourth match point to her greatest career success to date. She used to lose her nerve at the crucial moment.” EurosportExpert Barbara Rittner: “Now she plays in a much more controlled manner, is more herself. That’s very impressive.”
“If she plays like that, she’s the best player. Then she really has to win the tournament,” was Rittner’s verdict even before the semifinals.
“Deserved!” Sabalenka defeated semi-final curse – the match point
Sabalenka new world number two
Sabalenka had previously failed three times in a Grand Slam semifinal, most recently at the US Open to Iga Swiatek. “In the first sentence she struggled a bit with her emotionality,” said Boris Becker Eurosport: “She wasn’t very balanced, but still kept control and didn’t overreact. The knot burst in the tie-break.”
Sabalenka will move to second in the world behind Swiatek; Linette is at her career high of 22 after the tournament.
For reaching the final, the Belarussi received the equivalent of 1,035,905 euros in prize money, for victory there would be 1,896,503 euros, analogous to the men.
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