World No 2 Aryna Sabalenka spoke extremely highly of 115th-ranked Camila Osorio after their Madrid match. In the Madrid third round, Sabalenka defeated 21-year-old Osorio 6-4 7-5. "I'm happy with the win. She's a great player and she fought for every point.
It was a really great match," Sabalenka said, per the WTA website. Going into the match, Sabalenka was the big favorite to beat Osorio. Osorio was down by a set and two breaks in the second set but refused to quit and nearly sent the match into a third set.
"That's something that I expected, especially against players like her. She can return, she can play long rallies, and she can come back to the match. I just kept telling myself I have to keep going for my shots and I just have to make her move because she's not going to move all day long.
Once I will get this approach shot and I will be able to finish the point. So I was just telling myself to keep going for my shots and don't start panicking," Sabalenka explained.
Sabalenka escaped with a straight-set win over Osorio
Sabalenka started the match well, breaking Osorio in the first game.
Down by an early break, Osorio worked her way back into the first set as she broke back Sabalenka in the sixth game to tie the first set to three games apiece. After blowing an early break, Sabalenka was able to break Osorio again in the ninth game for a 5-4 lead.
In the 10th game, Sabalenka served out for the first set after converting her second set point. After winning the first set, Sabalenka claimed back-to-back breaks in the third and fifth games for a 4-1 lead in the second set.
Down by a set and two breaks, Osorio responded with breaks in the sixth and 10th games to get both breaks back. However, blowing two breaks didn't impact Sabalenka too much, who broke Osorio again in the 11th game and served out for the match in the following game. Sabalenka plays next against 16-year-old Madrid sensation Mirra Andreeva.