Double title holder in Melbourne, world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka qualified Wednesday in two sets for the 3rd round of the Australian Open by dominating the Spaniard Jessica Bouzas Maneiro (54th), whom she faced for the first time.
On the Rod Laver Arena, the 26-year-old Belarusian won with a score of 6-3, 7-5, signing a sixteenth victory in a row on the main court of the first Grand Slam of the season. She will face the Danish Clara Tauson (42nd) for a place in the round of 16, who has just won the WTA 250 tournament in Auckland and dismissed the German Tatjana Maria (90th) in the second round on Wednesday.
Sabalenka had a slow start on Wednesday, getting caught twice in the first set before accelerating to win the first set 6-3. Trailing in the second set, the Belarusian lined up five games in a row to win the set (7-5) and her place in the 3rd round.
Winner of the WTA 500 in Brisbane at the start of January, Sabalenka scored a seventh victory in a row on Tuesday since the start of the season. If she wins the title in Melbourne, the Belarusian would become the first player to win the Australian Open three years in a row since the Swiss Martina Hingis (1997-1999).
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