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© Associated Press
Tsvetana Pironkova came close to her most prestigious victory since early 2021, but failed to beat the eighth in the world ranking Arina Sabalenka. The Bulgarian lost in a dramatic clash of the Miami tournament after 6: 0, 4: 6, 6: 7 (9).
The game lasted two hours and 28 minutes.
Until now, the Bulgarian had never played with the 22-year-old Sabalenka, who is seventh in the Florida tournament.
The match was very dramatic, going through several twists and turns, with Pironkova leading 5: 2 in the third set, but she missed.
In the next round, Sabalenka will face Victoria Kudermetova (№37).
For the Bulgarian, this was her first participation in top flight tournaments after her return to the court in 2020. To enter the main draw, she went through the rankings.
The first set lasted only 30 minutes, as Pironkova played very hard and won it to zero. She prevailed in important moments, including the fifth marathon game, when Sabalenka twice saved break points.
In the second half, the Bulgarian took the lead with 3: 1, but then her opponent managed to return to the match. Won five straight games to equalize.
After the second set, Pironkova received medical treatment for a bicep problem on her right arm. In the end, the match continued and the Bulgarian again took the lead with 3: 1. After an exchange of quick advances, the score increased to 5: 2 for her, and Sabalenka also had thigh problems.
However, the tennis player from Belarus reached 5: 5, and then the set entered a decisive tiebreaker.
In it, Pironkova saved two match points at 4: 6 and in turn reached 7: 6 and 8: 7, but failed to close the match. In the end, with 11: 9 Sabalenka managed to finish the match.
