Aryna Sabalenka's very complicated match at the 2024 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix ended with a late push from Marketa Vondrousova that sent her packing.
The Czech player seemingly had a chance of beating her opponent in this match. However, it seemed far-fetched because Sabalenka played three times in the final of the WTA 500 event in Stuttgart.
Vondrousova is a former Roland Garros finalist, so she's not unfamiliar with clay, but the Belarusian is still just a little bit better as a player, or at least she has been in the past 52 weeks.
None of that mattered, though, as the Czech player continued her winning run in Stuttgart thanks to another solid performance. When it mattered the most, she could play a bit better, but it wasn't easy.
Sabalenka's level against Paula Badosa was a bit shaky but she did well to win the first set of this match 6-3. She served better and played better in most rallies, which helped her in the opening set.
Vondrousova struggled with her serve and overhit a bit too much to really challenge her opponent in that opening set. She would produce a better level in the second set, which would flip the script.
Sabalenka struggled with her serve this time around, and it made all the difference. The heavy pressure from the Czech player yielded great results, as she broke her opponent three times en route to a 6-3 finish in the second set.
Vondrousova also served much better, which certainly added to her confidence. That confidence would power her to an early lead in the final set 3-1, but the reigning Australian Open champion didn't give up.
She broke back and made it 3-3 but then lost her serve again. She would break again to make it 4-4 and finally take a 5-4 lead. In the end, it didn't matter, as Sabalenka hit herself out of the match with a couple of really bad errors late. She lost her serve at 5-5, and Vondrousova was able to finish it off, winning the match 3-6, 6-3, 7-5.
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