What Hailey Baptiste was thinking while facing match points against Aryna Sabalenka in Madrid

Hailey Baptiste booked her spot in the Madrid Open semi-finals on Tuesday, pulling off a major upset against world number one Aryna Sabalenka.

The American, currently ranked 30th, came from behind to claim a 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 win over Sabalenka in the Spanish capital.

Baptiste’s victory saw her match a feat previously accomplished by Serena Williams – defeating a world number one at the Madrid Open.

It was an impressive showing from Baptiste who fended off six match points before closing out the win inside the Caja Magica.

Hailey Baptiste’s response to being down a match point

Baptiste showed real composure during Tuesday’s match, especially under pressure when facing several match points.

She didn’t shy away from the moment either, coming forward and playing aggressively even with the match on the line.

“I mean, just to play one more point, make one more ball, and make sure that I’m making her earn that point,” Baptiste said of her attitude when facing match points.

“If she was going to win it, she was going to have to earn it. I knew that she obviously was feeling a little nervous too. She made a few unforced errors, which is normal.

“I wanted to make sure that I was very solid and yeah, just really had the mindset of making her earn those points.”

A reporter noted Baptiste’s aggression during those key moments and asked if it was part of her strategy:

Baptiste replied: “The plan kind of comes to my head when I get to the line sometimes [laughing].”

Hailey Baptiste follows in Louisa Chirico’s footsteps

Baptiste joins Louisa Chirico as the only two players to make their first WTA clay-court semi-final appearances at the Madrid Open.

Chirico had a strong run back in 2016, taking down Monica Niculescu and Ana Ivanovic, and later benefitting from a walkover against Victoria Azarenka.

She then beat Daria Saville before falling to Dominika Cibulkova in the semi-finals.

Reflecting on that match, Chirico said: “Well, first of all, I want to give credit to her because she played very well today. You know, regardless of the outcome, I think there were a couple things I could have taken care of a little bit better. She really played well today and deserved to win.”

Simona Halep went on to win the event that year with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Cibulkova in the final.