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Aryna Sabalenka suffered her first loss since January as she crashed out in the quarter-finals of the Madrid Open on Tuesday evening. The world No. 1 was on a 15-match winning streak after lifting trophies in Indian Wells and Miami, and had gone nine matches unbeaten at the Caja Magica, winning the title last year.

She looked on her way to another victory as she held six match points against Hailey Baptiste in their Madrid quarter-final - five as Baptiste served to stay in the match at 5-4 in the final set, and one more in the tiebreak. But the American saved them all and earned the biggest win of her career, beating Sabalenka 2-6 6-2 7-6(6).

And Sabalenka has now credited the world No. 32 for being "brave" while saving those match points. "It was a tough match. She played great. I played great," the three-time former champion in Madrid said.

"I think I had some opportunities in the third set. I felt like I was maybe a little bit rushing the point over there. But it's okay, sometimes I guess you have to learn, take the bad stuff from this week and move on.

Addressing those six missed match points, Sabalenka added: "I think she played great points. I mean, I had some opportunities, didn't use them. She played really brave tennis, I feel like, on those match points."

The four-time Grand Slam champion beat Baptiste 6-4 6-4 in the same stage of the Miami Open last month, but felt she gave the American more opportunities in their match at the Caja Magica.

"I feel like in Miami I didn't give her much opportunities. She couldn't break my serve, I believe," Sabalenka explained. "Here, the first game, second set, I just double faulted twice out of nowhere. It felt like that gave her belief. After that, she just started playing more aggressively. She, as I said, she was playing brave tennis. What can I say? Well done."

Baptiste, meanwhile, later explained that she had to take risks while saving match points at 4-5 in the decider. The 24-year-old tried out the serve and volley - and it worked. "The plan kind of comes to my head when I get to the line sometimes," she laughed.

"That was what my brain was telling me to do, so that's what I did. And it worked. Doesn't always work, but in that moment, it did. I was really happy with that.

"I think it was an uncomfortable situation for her, me serving and volleying and doing, hitting a dropshot, I think, in maybe one of the match points I did. So, yeah, I mean, it's not the easiest position to put her in, which is kind of the plan."

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