Sabalenka digs deep to battle into Australian Open second week / Photo: © AFP
Sabalenka digs deep to battle into Australian Open second week
Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka had to battle hard to beat Denmark's Clara Tauson 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 on Friday and reach the second week of the Australian Open after suffering another bout of the serving jitters.
The world number one remained on track to win her third consecutive Melbourne Park title but only after a rollercoaster scrap that lasted more than two hours on Rod Laver Arena.
"That was a great battle," said Sabalenka.
"She played unbelievable tennis. It was really tough to play against her today.
"I'm just super happy that I was able to just stay in the game and I was able to push myself, honestly, to the limit to get this win."
Sabalenka wobbled badly on her serve in her second-round match against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro and dished up more of the same, broken to 15 in the opening game by world number 42 Tauson.
Neither player could hit their marks consistently and it wasn't till the eighth game that Tauson finally secured the first service hold of the match to move 5-3 ahead.
It sparked Sabalenka into life as she finally held her own delivery to love then broke back again.
"I would say that conditions here are really tough to serve," said Sabalenka.
"Looking back, it was really important to get all of those breaks back. It could go either way so I'm just super happy that I was able to close this match."
Sabalenka squandered four set points at 6-5 on the Tauson serve to herald a tiebreak.
But on Sabalenka's fifth set point she made no mistake, a rasping forehand winner putting her ahead.
The second set followed a similar pattern, Sabalenka finally consolidating a break for a 4-2 lead only for the Dane to level once more.
Both players came out swinging at 4-4, exchanging sizzling winners until, after the longest game of the match featuring seven deuces, Sabalenka secured the break.
Serving for the match, Sabalenka had to save two more break points from the plucky Tauson, before clinching the tie in 2hr 6min.
Both players were seeking to extend their 2025 unbeaten streaks to eight matches after Sabalenka won the Brisbane International warm-up and Tauson took out the title in Auckland.
In the end it was a 17th consecutive victory in Melbourne for Sabalenka.
Next up is either Russian teenage star Mirra Andreeva or Poland's Magdalena Frech.
Sabalenka is hunting down a rare hat-trick of consecutive Australian Open wins, a feat last achieved 26 years ago by Martina Hingis and only matched by four other women in history.
M.Davis--TNT
Featured