IMAGE: Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka celebrates her Australian Open quarterfinal win over Russian Mirra Andreeva at Melbourne Park on Sunday. Photo : Edgar Su/Reuters
World number one Aryna Sabalenka proved her champion skills by defeating youngster Mirra Andreeva with an impressive scoreline of 6-1, 6-2, securing her place in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open on Sunday . The win keeps her on track for a remarkable third straight tournament title.
14th seed Andreeva struggled to find her rhythm in this fourth-round match played at the iconic Rod Laver Arena, while Sabalenka raised her level of play, taking her winning streak to Melbourne Park to an incredible total of 18 matches.
Sabalenka, who suffered a loss to Andreeva in the quarter-finals of last year’s French Open, showed resolute concentration, stepping up her serve at the slightest opportunity for difficulty against the young opponent. The match ended in just over an hour, with Sabalenka delivering an irretrievable serve to secure the victory.
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“Always difficult matches against Andreeva, she is so young but plays exceptional tennis,” the 26-year-old said during her on-court interview. “I am really happy to have overcome this difficult match in two sets.”
-In the quarterfinals, Sabalenka will face either Donna Vekic or Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who are scheduled to face each other later today. This marks his 11th quarter-final appearance in the last 13 Grand Slam tournaments, highlighting his consistency at the highest level of the sport.
IMAGE : Aryna Sabalenka kisses Mirra Andreeva after the match. Photo : Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters
The Belarusian had struggled with her serve in previous rounds but expressed satisfaction with her performance in the sweltering conditions at Rod Laver Arena on Sunday. “I’m really happy with my level today and I hope the conditions stay as good for the rest of the tournament,” she added.
The match saw both players hold their serves in the first three games, but a series of four forehand errors from Andreeva allowed Sabalenka to earn a break to lead 3-1. From that point on, the top seed didn’t look back, winning the first set in just 25 minutes and scoring another break to lead 2-1 in the second set after a few double faults from his opponent.
Although Sabalenka showed off her power, she also demonstrated finesse during the match with some nifty punts, highlighting her continued efforts to diversify her playing style. Andreeva, while still managing to put some pressure on the Sabalenka’s serve at 3-2, failed to convert any of the three break points she had, thanks to an ace and a masterful volley from the reigning US champion Open.
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