(Melbourne) The favorite and world number one racket, Aryna Sabalenka, defeated China’s Bai Zhuoxuan 6-3, 6-1 to reach the third round of the Australian Open tennis tournament.
Facing a tenacious opponent, the Belarusian needed seven set points to win the first set. Playing defensive tennis, Bai (702e) made several drop shots which allowed him to prolong the match.
Sabalenka won this first major tournament of the season in 2023 and 2024, but lost the final to American Madison Keys last year. She is seeking a fifth Grand Slam title, while she has also triumphed twice at the United States Open.
Bai was in the main draw of this tournament for the second time in his career. She defeated Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova on Sunday, reaching the second round for the first time.
