(Miami) Surprise in Miami: Aryna Sabalenka (2e world), who was one of the favorites of the Florida WTA 1000, was eliminated in the quarter-finals, beaten 6-4, 6-4 by Romania’s Sorana Cirstea (74e), Wednesday.
The 24-year-old Belarusian, victorious at the Australian Open and who remained on a defeat in the final of Indian Wells, where the Kazakh Elena Rybakina took her revenge from Melbourne, was betrayed by too many irregularities in her game , having generated a lot of nervousness, and vice versa.
More constant and solid in the exchanges, Cirstea, who also had the scalp of Caroline Garcia (4e) to 2e turn, took advantage of his opponent’s feverishness on serve and backhand, managing to break it twice to pocket the first set in 36 minutes.
Sabalenka did not hide her frustration, coming close to smashing her racquet several times on the ground.
After giving up her serve again at the start of the second set, the Belarusian pulled herself together, her power finally doubling up with a bit of precision. But it was only momentary, because she gave in again on her commitment, offering a new break to her rival on her sixth double fault.
The 32-year-old Romanian did not fail to conclude then, reaching for only the second time the last four of a tournament in this category, just below the Grand Slams, ten years after having succeeded in Toronto, where Serena Williams stood in her way to the final.
In search of a third title on the circuit, Cirstea will be opposed to the Czech Petra Kvitova (12e) or the Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova (18e).
