Three weeks after the triumph in Monterrey, Nuno Borges returns to the semi-finals of a Challenger Tour tournament, but only after suffering for more than two hours. The Portuguese number one in the world ranking defeated the Australian Alexei Popyrin, by 7-5, 6-7 (4/7) and 6-3, and advanced to the semi-finals of the Arizona Tennis Classic, the first challenger 175th category in ATP history.
Popyrin (101st in the world) overcame maiato in the aces chapter (15-7), but Borges (80th) was the only one to get breakpoints at the set decisive: one, enough to make a difference. Due to the rain – a rare thing in the Arizona desert –, which appeared in Phoenix at the beginning of the week, the schedule was delayed and Saturday was a double shift day. So Borges would still have to discuss, in the afternoon, a place in the final with the German Jan-Lennard Struff (134th), who eliminated the Kazakh Alexander Bublik (46th), by 6-4, 3-6 and 6 -4.
At the BNP Paribas Open, Elena Rybakina confirmed that she was the main antidote to Iga Swiatek’s dominance on the women’s circuit and, for the second time this year, defeated the Polish woman, again in two sets, but with even clearer partials, 6-2, 6-2. It’s been more than two years since Swiatek won so few points in a match: 35. The Russian player won 82% of the points in which she placed the first service, she took advantage of the five breakpoints he had and ended up with 18 winnersdouble those achieved by the opponent.
“Iga is a really tough opponent, but when I play like that well and everything works… defeat the leader of the ranking on more than one occasion in the same year.
In her first Masters 1000 final, Rybakina (10th) will repeat the meeting that decided the title at the Australian Open, with Aryna Sabalenka (2nd), winner of the four previous duels, all in three sets. “I think I will have to play better in the important moments and keep my service, because sometimes it was just a break to decide”, said Rybakina.
Sabalenka dominated Maria Sakkari (7th) also in less than an hour and a half, by 6-2, 6-3, and overtook the Greek at the top of the list of active players with the most wins over opponents in the top 10: 24.
The next morning, the men’s semi-finals will be played. Carlos Alcaraz (2nd) faces Jannik Sinner (13th) and Daniil Medvedev (6th) faces Frances Tiafoe (16th).