It’s undeniable, Sara Sorribes has a special connection with the Mutua Madrid Open. Her magical game is the perfect match for the enthusiasm of the fans of Madrid. They need one another, they make each other greater, and they enjoy themselves more when they are together. You only have to see how the Spaniard celebrated her win today to know that this was not just any victory. It was a hugely significant one. The player from Castellon defeated an Olympic medallist and the world number 3, Elina Svitolina. She did so in two sets, but not without having to produce a mini-comeback along the way. It was the Sara Sorribes we all know and love.
“The connection with the fans is special. In Stadium 3 you can hear everything, you feel very close and when you have the fans behind you like I did it’s a unique experience. Without them, I wouldn’t have had the results I’ve had here”, Sara explained with a huge grin. The fans in the Caja Mágica were smiling with her all the way.
It was the type of match that tends to suit Sorribes Tormo’s game to a tee. Long points, tough rallies, and constant counter-attacks. Svitolina appeared exasperated with the consistency of the Spaniard. The match ended 6-4, 7-5 after the home player clawed her way back from a 5-3 deficit in the second set. Having sealed the deal, the world No. 55 fell to her knees in a celebration that was fitting for the magnitude of her achievement.
In the last six months, Sara has been unable to string to two wins together. It is probably no coincidence that Madrid provided the stage for her change of fortunes. As Sar told the media, she arrived in the Spanish capital feeling fit after an extra effort in recent weeks to be ready for the tournament. Mission accomplished.
Two years ago, Sorribes enjoyed the best week of her career in Madrid, reaching the quarter-finals and leaving great players such as Naomi Osaka, Daria Kasatkina and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in her wake. It was a stellar performance. This year, she could be en route to repeat the feat. However, to take the next step she will have to overcome a Grand Slam champion in Victoria Azarenka, a two-time finalist in Madrid and the doubles champion last year. Sara, though, is something of a giant-killer.
Experience is worth its weight in gold and Sorribes knows the courts of this venue like the back of her hand. “The bounce here really suits me and I’m really used to the way it changes as the games advance. Not all the players are aware of that and I use it to my advantage”, concluded the Valencian.
The bad news of the day was that Jéssica Bouzas was unable to get past Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko. The Galician fought like her life depended on it but the 2018 French Open champion snuffed out Bouza’s hopes with a resounding 6-3, 6-1. However, today’s defeat takes nothing away from one of the best week’s of Jéssica’s career, in which she came through two qualifying matches and defeated Paula Badosa in her first-round clash in the Manolo Santana Stadium.
