The Quarterfinals of the Mutua Madrid Open was underway on Wednesday with the final eight playing a match with the best 6 out of 11 games being played with the winner going to Thursday’s semifinal and possible final. Kiki Bertens, Belinda Bencic, Johanna Konta, and Caroline Wozniacki were spotlighted on the day to determine who would move on in the virtual tournament.
The actual defending champion of the open took on the Swiss star who made it to the semifinal last year, nearly setting up for this final. Bertens opened service but went to deuce with Bencic who wasn’t able to defend well giving the Dutch the lead. Bencic got on the board in the second but Bertens was outplaying the 23-year-old to a shutout in the third. Bencic had a 40-0 lead in the fourth and held to stay in touch with her opponent.
It was a see-saw battle as Bencic stayed with Bertens through six games, but in the seventh, the edge returned to 28-year-old. Bertens fought for a chance to open the gap but Bencic fought after being forced to deuce. Defensive tactics allowed her to make it 4-all with two more needed for the win. The Dutch star held serve in the ninth and sat with three match points in the tenth scoring the win on a line drive shot to score on a sliced crosscourt winning 6-4.
The Dane looked for her fourth win in a row against the Brit and got off to a good start in the opening. Konta served but couldn’t deal with the aggression that Wozniacki brought to play. Scoring a shutout, she moved into the second game with three aces before a crosscourt made it 2-0 quickly. She clearly had the experience with a ten-point streak. A double fault set up the moment where Wozniacki let a point get away from her before making it 3-0.
The next two games went to the former world number one as she surged against Konta leading to the final game with the Brit on the verge of being bageled. With three match points in the sixth, Konta saved one with a brilliant cross-court return but it was all over on an ace. Wozniacki had seven aces in her advance to the semifinal and outscored Konta 24-4. The 29-year-old would await to see who she would face on Thursday and whether she could pick up the first title as a retiree.
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