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Aryna Sabalenka stormed back from the brink against Naomi Osaka, while Coco Gauff let a winning position slip in Madrid.
Aryna Sabalenka underlined why she is the world number one, fighting back from a set and a break down to beat Naomi Osaka and reach the Madrid Open quarter-finals.
Sabalenka, chasing a third title in Madrid, recovered to win 6-7 (1-7) 6-3 6-2 in a gripping two-hour, 20-minute contest. The victory extended her winning streak to 15 matches this year and marked her ninth straight win in the Spanish capital.
For long stretches, however, Osaka looked capable of ending both runs.
The former world number one, continuing her return after a 14-month break following the birth of daughter Shai in July 2023, produced some of her sharpest tennis of the season. She dominated the opening tie-break, then broke early in the second set to move 2-1 ahead and put Sabalenka under real pressure.
That was the moment the match turned.
Sabalenka responded immediately with a break back and steadily tightened her grip. Once she claimed the second set, momentum shifted decisively. She was ruthless in the decider, conceding just three points and closing out victory with her sixth ace of the afternoon.
Afterwards, Sabalenka acknowledged Osaka's level, noting that the contest forced her to raise her game and that she benefited from a little fortune during the closing stages.
Sabalenka will next face American Hailey Baptiste, who defeated Belinda Bencic in three sets to reach the last eight.
Elsewhere, Coco Gauff's Madrid run came to a frustrating end as the American third seed lost 4-6 6-1 7-6 (6-5) to Czech 13th seed Linda Noskova.
Gauff, who had been battling a stomach virus during the tournament, looked on course for victory after leading 4-1 in the deciding set and later holding a 4-2 advantage in the deciding tie-break. But Noskova twice fought back brilliantly to snatch a place in the quarter-finals.
Noskova will now meet Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk, who beat Caty McNally in straight sets to record a ninth consecutive victory and reach back-to-back Madrid quarter-finals.
