Sabalenka credits 'really brave' tennis from Baptiste in shock Madrid Open loss

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/baptiste-hailey/Cjagsdf4/"]Baptiste[/a]'s [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/baptiste-h-Cjagsdf4/sabalenka-a-vyhksgUB/?mid=UmHkp1lm"]2-6, 6-2, 7-6(6)[/a] ‌victory ended [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sabalenka-aryna/vyhksgUB/"]Sabalenka[/a]'s 15-match winning streak, as the 24-year-old American's ‌inventive tennis under extreme pressure, most notably her serve-and-volley ‌approach, dragged her opponent out of her comfort zone.[/p][p]With the French Open starting on May 24, Baptiste gave four-time Grand ‌slam champion Sabalenka's prospective opponents a ⁠reminder that variety often ‌disrupts raw power on the sport's slowest surface.[/p][p][b]"I played her ​a few weeks ago (in Miami) and it was a close match ... I had a better idea ​of how to play her and adjustments I needed to make," [/b]Baptiste said.[/p][p]While that clash shaped her thinking, ⁠Baptiste said her ​decisions in crucial moments on Tuesday were made purely on instinct.[/p][p][b]"The plan comes to my head when I get to the line,"[/b] Baptiste added.[/p][embed guid="0bdb556f-00e4-4e3b-8eca-d6551bc78923" url="https://x.com/WTA/status/2049236329133736027" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]"That's what my brain was ‌telling me to do ... And it worked. It doesn't always, but in that moment it did.[/b][/p][p][b]"It was an uncomfortable situation for her, me serving and volleying, hitting a drop shot in one of the match points. It's not the easiest position to put her in, which is the plan."[/b][/p][p]Sabalenka, who will continue her preparations in Rome to improve on last year's runner-up ‌finish at Roland Garros, was gracious in defeat.[/p][p][b]"She played ​really brave tennis on those match points,"[/b] the ‌27-year-old Belarusian added.[/p][p][b]"In Miami I didn't give her much opportunities ... Here, in the first game of the second set I just double-faulted twice out of nowhere.[/b][/p][p][b]"That gave her belief. She started playing aggressively ... what ⁠can I say? ⁠Well done."[/b][/p][p]Baptiste takes on [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/andreeva-mirra/lI6fOOat/"]‌Mirra Andreeva[/a] next.[/p]