Miami, March 26 Aryna Sabalenka achieved a resounding 6-4, 6-4 victory over Hailey Baptiste, advancing to her second consecutive Miami Open semifinal.
Baptiste put up a strong fight against Sabalenka, but the World No. 1 maintained her trademark aggressive style while gradually shifting the match in her favor. She won the points she needed, saving three break points in the first set to repeatedly put Baptiste in an uncomfortable position.
Despite playing at a high level throughout the match, the 24-year-old Baptiste finally faltered, with a poorly timed double fault handing the set to Sabalenka.
In the second set, down by a break, Baptiste showed determination to break back to 4-4, but after Sabalenka held for 5-4, the American again struggled, committing three double faults to give Sabalenka her first match point. Moments later, Sabalenka hit a crosscourt forehand winner to close out the match, according to WTA reports.
This victory sends Sabalenka to the semifinals of the Miami Open for the second consecutive year and sets up a 17th career meeting with Elena Rybakina at the WTA Tour.
Sabalenka leads the head-to-head record at 9-7, having won their most recent encounter in the Indian Wells final two weeks ago, saving a match point before lifting the trophy and beginning her pursuit of the Sunshine Double.
Earlier, No. 3 seed Rybakina extended her recent dominant record against No. 5 seed Jessica Pegula to reach her third Miami Open semifinal, recovering from a slow start to win 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 in 2 hours and 15 minutes.
World No. 2 Rybakina advances to her second semifinal of 2026, having won her second major title at the Australian Open in January.
Rybakina has a 2-0 record in Miami semifinals to date, having defeated Pegula in 2023 and Victoria Azarenka in 2024; both times, she went on to lose the final, to Petra Kvitova in 2023 and Danielle Collins in 2024.