Rybakina saves two match points to beat Putintseva for semi-final spot in Madrid

Fourth seed Elena Rybakina produced a stunning comeback as she advanced to the last four of the Madrid Open by edging out Yulia Putintseva 4-6, 7-6 (4), 7-5 at the Caja Magica on Wednesday.

Rybakina, ranked No 4, trailed 5-2, 40-15 in the final set but saved both match points and won five games in a row to clinch victory. She will play the winner of the match between Russian Mirra Andreeva and Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, the second seed, next.

“I didn’t panic at all,” Rybakina said. “At 5-2, not much you can do. I had the opportunities first, second set. We were both fighting.

“I was really tired. I think these tournaments which became so long, it’s not very helpful, I would say, because if you’re fit, you’re going to play every day and the tournament finishes. But to stay in one place for almost two weeks, and it’s not like here you finish and you go rest. You go and you play another mandatory one. That’s definitely not making it easy.

“I was not there with the legs definitely in the match. She’s a tough opponent. She’s a fighter, and she was playing well. At 5-2, I think I just didn’t have any more emotions, no frustration or nothing. I was just going for every point. Was trying to do what I supposed to do, and then whatever happens happened. I won the match.”

Elena Rybakina won against Italian Lucia Bronzetti (6-4, 6-3), Egyptian Mayar Sherif (6-1, 6-4) and qualifier Sara Bejlek (6-1, 6-3) ahead of her victory.

Earlier in the tournament, Putintseva, ranked No 50, defeated Chinese Yue Yuan (6-2, 6-4), Chinese Qinwen Zheng, the No 6 seed (7-5, 2-0 ret.), American Caroline Dolehide (6-2, 6-2) and Russian Daria Kasatkina, the No 10 seed (3-6, 6-2, 6-2).

Madrid WTA 1000, other quarter-finals results (Caja Magica, clay, USD 8.770.480, most recent results first):

• Mirra Andreeva vs. Aryna Sabalenka
• Madison Keys (18) beat Ons Jabeur (8): 0-6, 7-5, 6-1
• Iga Swiatek (1) beat Beatriz Haddad Maia (11): 4-6, 6-0, 6-2