Earlier on Friday, high seed Aryna Sabalenka continued her bid for a 3rd consecutive Australian Open title with victory over Denmark’s Clara Tauson.
The 26-year-old Belarusian was made to work for her 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 win on Rod Laver Area however secured victory in two hours and 6 minutes to progress to the fourth spherical.
There have been 11 breaks of serve in a match of quickly shifting momentum at Melbourne Park.
“That was an incredible battle,” stated Sabalenka.
“She performed unbelievable tennis. It was actually robust to play towards her at present.
“I am simply tremendous blissful that I used to be in a position to simply keep within the sport and I used to be in a position to push myself, truthfully, to the restrict to get this win.”
Eight of the 11 breaks of serve got here within the first set as each gamers grappled for momentum, Tauson incomes the primary service maintain of the match within the eighth sport.
After Sabalenka broke again for a fourth time, Tauson, 22, saved 4 set factors to drive a tie-break however the world primary ultimately took her likelihood on the fifth alternative to seal the opening set with a thunderous forehand.
The second set adopted an analogous sample as Sabalenka struggled to discover a first serve however she ultimately broke within the ninth sport, the longest of the match which featured seven deuces, then served for the win to safe a seventeenth consecutive victory in Melbourne.
Regardless of three robust matches, Sabalenka progresses to the second week at Melbourne Park having not dropped a set and with a thirtieth victory in 31 matches in hard-court Slams for the reason that begin of 2023.
Sabalenka will face Poland’s Magdalena Frech or 17-year-old 14th seed Mirra Andreeva within the subsequent spherical.
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, 2025-01-17 07:52:00
