Speed Post News Network
Patna : World No 18 Belinda Bencic, 22, Switzerland, handed over a shock defeat to World No 1 and top seed Naomi Osaka, 21, Japan, in the quarter-finals of Madrid Open, Spain, on May 9, 2019, evening, to reach the semi-finals of the tournament.
Bencic stunned Osaka, the reigning US Open and Australian Open Champion, in three-sets 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 in 2 hr 11 minutes to advance to the semi-finals of the clay court tournament. Osaka though hammered 12 Aces in the match to just 1 by Bencic. Bencic committed 4 double faults to just 1 by Osaka. Bencic broke Osaka’s service 6 times while the latter broke her service 4 times. Bencic won 4 games in a row in the match to 3 by Osaka. Bencic won 55 service points to 50 by Osaka.
World No 3 Simona Halep, 27, Romania, beat World No 9 Ashleigh Barty, 23, Australia, 7-5, 7-5 in the quarter-finals to advance to the semi-finals of the tournament. Halep broke Barty’s service 4 times in the match while the latter broke her service twice. Halep won 4 games in a row to 3 by Barty. Barty, however, fired 5 Aces in the match to 2 by Halep. Barty committed 3 double faults to 1 by Halep. Help will play Bencic in the SFs on May 10, 2019.
World No 8 Sloane Stephens, 26, USA, beat World No 36 Petra Martic, 28, Croatia, 6-4, 6-3 in 79 minutes in the quarter-finals to book a berth in the semi-finals. Stephens, the 2017 US Open Champion, broke Martic’s service 3 times while the latter broke her service only once. Stephens won 42 service points to 34 by Martic. Stephens won 3 games in a row to 2 by Martic.