Tennis
Sabalenka downs Baptiste to set up semifinal clash against Rybakina at the Miami Open
World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka set up a semifinal clash against Elena Rybakina at the Miami Open. Sabalenka leads the head-to-head 9-7 and won their most recent encounter in the Indian Wells final two weeks ago, saving a match point before lifting the trophy and beginning her pursuit of the Sunshine Double.
Sabalenka had her hands full with Hailey Baptiste in their quarterfinal on Wednesday night in Miami, but she found the timely breaks she needed to close out the first set and again in the second to seal a resounding 6-4, 6-4 victory in 1 hour and 20 minutes.
The win sends her to the semifinals in the 305 for the second straight year and sets up a 17th career meeting with Elena Rybakina at the WTA Tour.
But before she could look ahead, the World No. 1 had to get through her first meeting with Baptiste, and the American was more than up to the challenge, pushing Sabalenka throughout before the defending champion pulled through.
Instead of overwhelming Baptiste from the start, she maintained her trademark aggression while slowly letting the match tilt in her favor. She won the points she needed, saving three break points in the opening set to repeatedly put Baptiste in unenviable positions. The first example came after Sabalenka held for 5-4 in the first set, leaving Baptiste to serve to stay in it.
Despite playing at a high level throughout the opener, the 24-year-old finally cracked, with an ill-timed double fault handing Sabalenka the set.
The semifinal marks another chapter in one of the sport’s premier matchups. With it, Sabalenka and Rybakina will move past Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff for the most meetings between two active players
The pattern repeated in the second. Down a break, Baptiste showed grit to break back for 4-4, but after Sabalenka held for 5-4, the American again got tight, committing three double faults to give Sabalenka her first match point. Moments later, Sabalenka uncorked a crosscourt forehand winner to close out the match.
Gauff and Muchkova reach maiden Miami Open semifinals, set for a blockbuster clash
Thursday’s semifinal marks another chapter in one of the sport’s premier matchups. With it, Sabalenka and Rybakina will move past Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff for the most meetings between two active players.
Rybakina extends dominance over Pegula
Meanwhile, No. 3 seed Elena Rybakina extended her recent dominant record against No. 5 seed Jessica Pegula to reach her third Miami Open semifinal, recovering from a slow start to advance 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 in 2 hours and 15 minutes.
Rybakina had lost three of her first four meetings with Pegula in 2022 and 2023. They did not face each other again for nearly two years, and since then, the Kazakhstani has emphatically turned the rivalry in her favor with a run of five victories over Pegula in the past seven months. Wednesday’s result follows wins in the Billie Jean King Cup Finals, the WTA Finals, the Australian Open semifinals and the Indian Wells quarterfinals. She now leads the head-to-head 6-3.
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Rybakina advances to her second semifinal of 2026, having lifted her second major crown at the Australian Open in January. Rybakina has a 2-0 record in Miami semifinals to date, having defeated Pegula in 2023 and Victoria Azarenka in 2024; both times, she went on to lose the final, to Petra Kvitova in 2023 and Danielle Collins in 2024.
“I feel every game was important, and of course, I made a lot of unforced errors, and as I said in the first set I was rushing a little bit and quite many mistakes,” Rybakina said to press. “Also, Jessica, she played really well in the conditions. I need to get used to a little bit since the previous match I played late.
“Her game also is fast and the ball stays low so I’m happy overall that I found the way. I was not rushing as much in the second set and won these important games.”