Liudmila Samsonova had it worn out. One point at a time, one game at a time, she pushed Aryna Sabalenka out on Friday afternoon. The career of the world number 2 thus ended in the third round.
The two right-handers fought a proud battle lasting nearly three hours in what was the first matchup of the day on center court at the IGA stadium. Samsonova, 18th in the world, finally overcame Sabalenka in three exciting sets of 7-6 (2), 4-6 and 6-3.
It hadn’t been 10 minutes since her match was over that Sabalenka met the media. Smiling despite the disappointment, she immediately gave her opponent her due.
“It was a very tough game. [Samsonova] played amazing tennis,” the Belarusian dropped.
The 25-year-old admitted she was not “physically ready” to perform at her “best level” on Friday. “I wasn’t able to move as I can, serve as well as I can, so it was hard for me,” she explained. Still, she was “happy” with the “fighting spirit” she displayed.
Sabalenka indeed fought valiantly in front of a Samsonova in full control, never shaken. The most recent Australian Open champion, whose non-verbal on the court is eloquent, nevertheless often showed her discouragement and frustration. She has been seen pouting and dropping her racquet at her feet a few times after missing a shot. When the subject was discussed at a press conference, she did not slip away.
“That’s why sometimes I don’t like to watch my games. I can’t bear to see myself struggling so much with my emotions, she dropped. But yeah, it was not my best performance physically, in the way I manage my emotions. »
“But that’s okay,” she added serenely. I will learn from this game and move on. »
Clearly, Samsonova was on a mission to wear down the world No. 2 with a nice variety of shots from the opening moments of the match. But beyond that, the Russian showed admirable concentration throughout the duel. On several occasions, she has nicely got out of delicate situations, avoiding breakage.
To be honest, Sabalenka only converted 2 of his 13 break points, which is not exactly the best recipe for victory. But she kept fighting, providing strong streaks for fans. At 2-2 in the second set, she scored her first break in front of a delighted crowd.
On the other side of the field, the 15th seed has never lost its way. Straight as an oak tree, icy in front of her opponent’s few mood swings, she stayed the course. And that resulted in some very high quality play.
In the third round, Samsonova broke for the first time. Sabalenka got her revenge a few minutes later, under the “let’s go, Aryna!” from the bleachers, but again, Samsonova kept her composure. She missed a first match point, before finally ending the duel.
“There are several points [in this match] that were turning points, but yeah, I guess it just wasn’t my best day,” Sabalenka summed up with a smile.
“All in all, it’s been a great week. [I received] incredible support. I’m really disappointed to have lost and not be able to enjoy this atmosphere again,” she said.
Between them, the Russian and the Belarusian had 21 aces. Throughout the National Bank Open, each time a player hits an ace, $30 is deposited into a fund that helps Ukraine through the Tennis for Peace Foundation. This means that $630 was raised in this duel alone.
Samsonova was scheduled to face 12th-seeded Belinda Bencic in the quarterfinals on Friday night.