Russian world No. 76 Anna Blinkova shared her thoughts following her second-round loss to Belarusian world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka with a score of 3/6, 4/6 at the WTA 1000 tournament in Madrid, Spain.
Reflecting on the match, which saw her fall behind 0-5 in the first set before improving, Blinkova commented:
“There were definitely opportunities. I`m actually pleased with the match I played and how it unfolded. I started off not very aggressively; let`s say I was operating at about 7 out of 10 speed, and she was simply `killing` me. That wasn`t sufficient. As soon as I hit shorter, weaker balls, she immediately stepped inside the baseline and finished the point.”
Blinkova explained her tactical adjustment: “That`s why, not exactly at 0-5, but a little earlier, I started stepping into the court myself and playing much more aggressively – probably at 9 out of 10 or even 10 out of 10 intensity. I realized that if I didn`t take the initiative to attack myself, I had no chance of winning.”
Despite the loss, she acknowledged the competitive nature of the match: “There were actually many close games, and it was a real fight. I had numerous break points. However, whenever I had chances, Aryna played incredibly well. She was hitting winners, serving powerfully, and returning aggressively. So while I had opportunities, she is just that strong – she doesn`t surrender games easily; she, as you might say, really steps up in the most critical moments.”
In the third round of the Madrid tournament, Sabalenka is scheduled to play against Belgian Elise Mertens.
Marcus Blakely 
Gilbert Pendleton