The Brisbane 2024 top seed and finalist was surrounded by friends on Thursday night, from fans in the stands to Putintseva herself, who pushed Sabalenka to just three sets last fall at the Donfeng Voyah Wuhan Open.
“She’s an incredible player. She's my friend and she always pushes you to work really hard to work on every point.
Although she ultimately won in straight sets, Sabalenka was still made to fight throughout, recovering from a breakdown in the first set, winning it on a tiebreaker, and cruising through the second set behind just one break of service.
I'm a perfectionist, but I'm really happy with the level I played today, the points I built today. Of course, I am very happy with this victory,” said Sabalenka, who thanked the crowd for staying for the tense conclusion of the match.
“I feel at home here.”
Sabalenka will face another test in the round of 16 as she aims to get revenge on Marie Bouzkova, who beat her in three sets last summer in Washington, DC. Yet the 26-year-old keeps things simple on the pitch and when it comes to New Year's resolutions.
“My personal resolution is to be happy, healthy and enjoy every moment,” she said. “I wish that for everyone.”
