Aryna Sabalenka snaps Danielle Collins' 15-match win streak in Madrid comeback effort

Danielle Collins was twice a point away from serving for her fourth-round match with Aryna Sabalenka at the Mutua Madrid Open.

But the defending champion found her way out of the tight spot, then turned the contest around in ending the American’s 15-match win streak, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, as the match wrapped well past midnight Tuesday.

The crucial swing in the clash came with Sabalenka serving at 3-4 in the second set. Having seen a 40-15 lead evaporate, the world No. 2 seed soon faced break point as Collins unloaded on a crosscourt forehand passing shot for a clean winner.

After the No. 13 seed failed to get her second-serve backhand return in play, she had a second chance to put the match on her racquet when Sabalenka double-faulted. This time, Collins forcibly struck her backhand crosscourt return, but came up well short on her follow-up shot, a crosscourt forehand.

Over the next few minutes, Sabalenka would fight through a gritty game to hold, and from there, the momentum greatly shifted to her side of the court. Hitting with more conviction, Sabalenka reeled off six consecutive games to break away from the competitor who incredibly pulled off the Miami-Charleston double as an unseeded entrant.

While Collins would get one of her break deficits back, she never had a look at closing the gap further. Collins was broken for a sixth time to end the battle, dropping her first match since the second round of Indian Wells to Iga Swiatek.

Having come through deciding sets in all three of her wins so far, Sabalenka is aiming to lift her third trophy at the WTA 1000 event in four years. The 25-year-old needs to reach the final to hold off Coco Gauff from overtaking her at No. 2 on the WTA rankings.

Mirra Andreeva, who celebrated her 17th birthday Monday by ousting reigning Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova, awaits in the quarterfinals. Sabalenka defeated the WTA’s 2023 Newcomer of the Year here in the round of 16 last year.