Tennis-No substitute for experience as Sabalenka rallies past Sherif

FILE PHOTO: Tennis - Madrid Open - Park Manzanares, Madrid, Spain - April 29, 2023 Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka celebrates after winning her round of 32 match against Colombia's Camila Osorio REUTERS/Isabel Infantes

MADRID (Reuters) - Aryna Sabalenka said her experience playing at the top level of women's tennis was key to helping her pull through difficult matches after the world number two fought back from a set down to beat unseeded Egyptian Mayar Sherif at the Madrid Open.

Sabalenka, who stopped consulting a psychologist in pre-season and took the mental aspect of her game into her own hands, said that earlier in her career she lacked the composure to win matches that were not going her way.