MADRID: World number two Aryna Sabalenka booked her place in the Madrid Open fourth round with an entertaining 6-4, 7-5 win over wildcard Camila Osorio on Saturday.
Sabalenka, who beat Osorio comfortably at Wimbledon in 2021 in their only other meeting, struggled in the first set after breaking her opponent in the first game.
Colombia’s Osorio won 11 consecutive points to break back and turn a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 lead, as the Australian Open champion wobbled.
However Sabalenka, who triumphed in Madrid in 2021, regained her composure and broke again to move ahead at 5-4, before holding her serve to take the first set.
The Belarusian carved out a 4-1 advantage in the second set with two breaks of serve, playing under a closed roof because of rain in the Spanish capital.
The big-hitting 24-year-old second seed was made to wait for her victory as Osorio needed a medical time out to work on a thigh problem.
Osorio came back invigorated and broke to give herself a foothold, consolidating on her serve and later showing resilience to break again and tie the set at 5-5.
However the 21-year-old double faulted to give Sabalenka a break point for 6-5, which she converted with a powerful cross-court forehand.
Sabalenka clinched victory when Osorio went long, with the Colombian receiving warm applause for her performance at the Caja Magica.
“It was another tough battle, I expected it, it was a really great win, I’m really happy with the tennis today and this win,” said Sabalenka.
“It’s not a big difference with or without the roof, I was afraid the ball would fly differently, (but) it was the same.”
Sabalenka, who finished second in Stuttgart last week, will face 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva or 17th seed Magda Linette in the fourth round.
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