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Sabalenka reaches final; Karatsev ends Zhang's run

The Australian Open champion is seeking her fifth WTA 1000 title and 13th career title overall

Published: Thu 4 May 2023, 8:30 PM

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  • AP

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Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka hits a return. — AP

Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka hits a return. — AP

Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the Madrid Open final for the second time in three years by defeating Maria Sakkari 6-4, 6-1 on Thursday.

The second-seeded Sabalenka opened with a 3-0 lead before Sakkari pulled even. The 24-year-old player from Belarus then won nine of the last 11 games, including the last five, to comfortably close out the match.


The Australian Open champion is seeking her fifth WTA 1000 title and 13th career title overall.

Men's qualifier Aslan Karatsev reached his first Masters 1000 semifinal after ending a strong run by Chinese player Zhang Zhizhen 7-6 (3), 6-4.

The 121st-ranked Russian saved all three breaks points he faced in the first set and converted his only opportunity in the second.

The 99th-ranked Zhang was the first Chinese man to make the quarterfinals of a Masters 1000 tournament by upsetting Danis Shapovalov, Cameron Norrie and Taylor Fritz.

Karatsev has been ranked as high as 14th. In 2021, he became the first man in his Grand Slam debut to reach the Australian Open semifinals.



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