New Delhi: World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka has continued to march on for the quest of her third straight Australian Open title. On Friday, the Belarusian triumphed over Denmark’s Clara Tauson 7-6 (5), 6-4 at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne.
Power and precision prevail 🙌
Aryna Sabalenka marches into the fourth round with a commanding 7-6(5) 6-4 victory over Clara Tauson.#AusOpen · #AO2025 pic.twitter.com/elYhJS3iCj
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 17, 2025
Both players couldn’t showcase anything special with their serves as they missed their respective first three service games. To start on a poor note, Sabalenka lost her fourth service game in a row to concede an advantage to her opponent. Tauson played a firing backhand cross-court to inch closer to the break point. Later on, Sabalenka won her first service game only before breaking the serve to remain in the first set with the scores level at 5-5.
The set went to the tiebreaker and the two-time Australian Open winner stamped her authority with a 4-1 lead and wrapped it in 63 minutes.
Sabalenka extends winning streak to 17 at Melbourne Park
Sabalenka took an early lead but Tauson fought back. This time the World No.1 wasn’t going to let the game slip deep and smashed an arresting backhand to seal the winner and confirm her spot in the last 16. Since French Open 2022, the 26-year-old has continued to progress past the third round in every slam event.
“I am super happy I was able to push myself. I told myself, well girl, you are tough.’ So many times I thought I was done,” Sabalenka said.
“The conditions are really tough to serve, heavy conditions. It was really important to get all of those breaks back. It could have gone either way. That was a great battle, she played unbelievable tennis,” she added.
The three-time Grand Slam champion has registered her eighth match victory in a row to start the 2o25 season on a rollicking note. She won the Brisbane International in the build up to the Australian Open, and has now won three rounds in a bid to earn hat-trick of titles. This was also her 17th straight win at the Melbourne Park since 2023.
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