Maria Sakkari vs Irina-Camelia Begu will take place in the quarter-finals of the 2023 Madrid Open on May 2.
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In a straightforward match, Maria Sakkari defeated former world No. 2 Paula Badosa, eliminating the final Spaniard. She won 6-4, 6-4 in about 90 minutes by saving all three breakpoints. Her victory over world No. 74 and wildcard Rebeka Masarova required three sets, and it was her second victory over a local favourite in the past two weeks. The world No. 9 has advanced from quarterfinals to semifinals this season in Linz, Doha, and Indian Wells, but she was unable to advance further to the championship round. Although she has reached seven semifinals since the start of the grass swing last year and is 6-0 in her last six quarterfinal matches, she has not yet won her second career championship.
In her first three games against world No. 18 Liudmilla Samsonova, Irina-Camelia Begu was defeated. She only dropped one service game in the remaining last-16 match, which she won 6-4, 6-4 for her biggest victory on clay since defeating Jelena Ostapenko in Madrid in 2018. In 10 clay matches against the top 20, she had lost. She entered the tournament having lost in the first round on her previous three trips to Madrid, and she is now advancing to the quarterfinals for the third time. She was denied a semifinal berth in 2015 in straight sets by eventual champion Petra Kvitova, and in 2016 in three sets by eventual champion Simona Halep.
| Maria Sakkari vs Irina-Camelia Begu | Match details |
|---|---|
| Date | May 2, 2023 |
| Surface | Clay |
| Tournament | Madrid Open |
| Stage | Quarter-final |
| Time (India) | 11:30 pm |
| Opponent | Score |
|---|---|
| Paula Badosa | 6-4, 6-4 (W) |
| Rebeka Masarova | 6-3, 3-6, 3-6 (W) |
| Arantxa Rus | 6-4, 6-4 (W) |
| Karolina Pliskova | 6-2, 6-3 (L) |
| Bianca Andreescu | 7-5, 3-6, 4-6 (L) |
| Opponent | Score |
|---|---|
| Liudmila Samsonova | 6-4, 6-4 (W) |
| Shelby Rogers | 7-5, 6-2 (W) |
| Karolina Muchova | 6-4, 7-5 (W) |
| Jessica Pegula | 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 (L) |
| Sofia Kenin | 1-6, 4-6 (W) |
Maria Sakkari is ahead 2-1. She should anticipate a more difficult struggle on clay if their three hard-court matches are any indication. Irina-Camelia Begu defeated a younger opponent in three sets in Miami in 2016 before losing in the quarterfinals and semifinals in Seoul in 2018 and St. Petersburg in 2022.
Maria Sakkari vs Irina-Camelia Begu will take place in the quarter-finals of the 2023 Madrid Open on May 2.
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