Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus kicked off her campaign for a third consecutive Australian Open title with a powerful 6-3, 6-2 victory over former U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens from the United States on Sunday.
Despite a shaky start where she was broken twice in the first set at Rod Laver Arena, the world number one found her rhythm on the court where she previously lifted the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup twice. Harnessing her formidable forehand, Sabalenka secured her 15th consecutive win at hardcourt Grand Slams.
“I think I just love the people, love the crowd. I love all the support I feel during basically every match I play here,” Sabalenka said about her affinity for Rod Laver Arena. “It’s just an incredible feeling. I just want to keep winning as long as I can just to feel the atmosphere.”
The match saw Sabalenka storm to a 4-0 lead as fans were still settling in for the evening session. Though Stephens fought back to 4-3, Sabalenka’s aggressive play and strong net tactics helped her close out the set.
“In that moment, I would get frustrated and probably would lose the first set,” she reflected. “I’m really glad that I improved my mental toughness.”
In the second set, Sabalenka showcased not just power but finesse, delighting the crowd with a deft drop-shot that left Stephens scrambling. The match concluded in 71 minutes, setting Sabalenka up to face Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in the next round.
Sabalenka is aiming to become the first woman to achieve an Australian Open three-peat since Martina Hingis did so from 1997 to 1999.
In other action, China's Wang Xinyu was eliminated in the first round after a hard-fought match against Spain's Paula Badosa, the No. 11 seed, who won 6-3, 7-6(5). Despite leading early in the second set tiebreak, Wang was hindered by unforced errors.
“She's a very aggressive type of player, but actually today I felt more like I was more aggressive,” Wang said after the match. “So I gained some points and then there were some errors, but I feel like this is the tennis I want to play.”
Reference(s):
Sabalenka starts Australian Open 'threepeat' bid by beating Stephens
cgtn.com
