Sabalenka tops Zheng to set Miami quarterfinal against red-hot Baptiste

Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka is back in the Miami Open quarterfinals after earning her eighth win over Zheng Qinwen in nine meetings at the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz level on Monday evening. She needed 1 hour and 25 minutes to secure a 6-3, 6-4 victory on Stadium Court.

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“She’s a tough opponent and I’m super happy with the level I played at today,” Sabalenka said in her on-court interview. “I can definitely say that it felt like home. Thanks to you guys, you really make this stadium feel like home for me.”

In the last eight, she’ll face American Hailey Baptiste, who reached her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal after backing up her upset of World No. 8 Elina Svitolina with another commanding straight-sets win -- this time over No. 25 seed Jelena Ostapenko.

Baptiste defeated the former French Open champion 6-3, 6-4 in 1 hour and 23 minutes on Butch Buchholz Court and continued to control proceedings as she has throughout the week. Baptiste has yet to drop a set in four matches, with wins over Tatjana Maria, No. 19 seed Liudmila Samsonova, Svitolina and Ostapenko.

Clutch play carries Sabalenka past Zheng

In a highly anticipated meeting, Zheng showed flashes of her top-end level, but each time momentum shifted her way, Sabalenka wrestled it back.

The first major momentum swing came late in the opening set. After racing out to a 3-0 and then 5-1 lead, Sabalenka watched Zheng save three set points and break her while serving for the set. Zheng then held to close the gap to 5-3, but Sabalenka responded with a hold to love to seal the opener.

Her most decisive stretch came at 4-3 in the second set. Up a break but facing triple break point, Sabalenka never wavered. Zheng’s forehand sailed long on the first, Sabalenka crushed a smash to erase the second and she ultimately saved all three, winning five straight points to hold for 5-3.

Zheng again applied pressure, recovering from 0-30 down to hold for 5-4, but Sabalenka closed the match with another hold to love to secure her latest straight-sets win over the former Australian Open finalist.

With the victory, Sabalenka became the first player to reach 15 consecutive WTA quarterfinals since Justine Henin, who made 25 straight between Charleston 2006 and Miami 2008.

It’s also Sabalenka’s 32nd career WTA 1000 quarterfinal, trailing only Victoria Azarenka (38) among active players.

Baptiste knocks off Ostapenko to reach first WTA 1000 quarterfinal

Baptiste has been getting the job done this week behind a blistering serve, which again set the tone on Monday. In what was her first meeting with Ostapenko, she struck 11 aces and won 68% of her first-serve points. Her second serve was nearly as effective, winning 64% of those points. She was broken just once and saved nine break points in total.

"I think that I'm a pretty aggressive player,” Baptiste said after the match. "I like to go after my shots, and I've had to learn to balance the aggressive and conservative game style and know when to actually pull the trigger. I've got a pretty good balance right now.”

While Ostapenko will likely rue her missed chances, it was clear early that the match was on Baptiste’s racket.

Baptiste saved the first of those break points in the opening game to hold for 1-0. A few games later, she ripped a backhand down the line to secure the first break for 3-1. Ostapenko earned her lone break of the match in the next game, but Baptiste responded immediately with a third straight break for a 4-2 lead.

Serving at 5-3, Baptiste saved three more break points before another backhand winner earned her a set point, which she converted with an ace to close out the opener in 39 minutes.

The pivotal moment of the second set came with Ostapenko leading 2-1 and holding triple break point. Baptiste erased all three -- winning each point behind her second serve -- and sealed the hold with back-to-back aces. The 24-year-old moved ahead for good a few games later when an Ostapenko forehand sailed long, giving her the break for 4-3.

Baptiste’s 10th ace set up her first match point at 5-4, and her 11th brought up a second, which she converted to seal one of the biggest wins of her career.

"I'm just believing in myself, believing in my game,” Baptiste said, "and trusting what I can do and the practices I've had, the work that I've put in and just trusting myself.”

A familiar, but first-time meeting

The quarterfinal will mark the first official meeting between Sabalenka and Baptiste.

For Sabalenka, though, the matchup feels strangely familiar.

“For some reason I thought I had played her,” Sabalenka said. “But I’ve been watching her game. She’s playing really great tennis -- great serving, great variety -- and it’s going to be a great battle. I’m really looking forward to facing her, probably for the first time, probably not, but anyway I’m excited to play her.”

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