Defending Champion Aryna Sabalenka Reaches Australian Open Quarterfinals

Vegas Tennis Team
3 Min Read

MELBOURNE, Australia — Aryna Sabalenka has made it to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, setting her sights on a remarkable achievement that hasn’t been seen in women’s tennis since the 1990s.

The reigning champion continued her phenomenal run at Melbourne Park, securing her 18th consecutive victory with an impressive 6-1, 6-2 triumph over 14th-seeded Mirra Andreeva on Rod Laver Arena.

Martina Hingis holds the record for the last woman to clinch three consecutive Australian Open singles titles, achieving this feat from 1997 to 1999.

After the match, Sabalenka shared a heartfelt hug with Andreeva, acknowledged the cheering crowd with a wave, and captured the moment with a photograph from her instant camera adorned with a cheerful thumbs-up.

“It’s such a beautiful moment. I love looking back at these photos. From my preseason to now, it’s heartwarming to reflect on these small but precious moments,” she expressed. “Beyond that, I simply aim to enhance myself daily, evolving as both a player and an individual, while cherishing these incredible moments.”

In an astounding display, she has now won 24 sets in a row at this tournament.

“I’m incredibly thrilled to have navigated this challenging match in straight sets,” she said of her 62-minute victory. “Mirra is young, yet so composed and an exceptional player. She truly has the ability to play remarkable tennis.”

Apart from a tense fifth game in the second set, where Sabalenka faced triple breakpoint but Andreeva put up a strong fight to take five consecutive points and hold serve, the match largely favored the world No. 1.

Sabalenka only encountered a break point mid-way through the second set, successfully defending against three in one game, as she appeared to test her serve against a player she had already defeated en route to winning the Brisbane title earlier this month.

No. 3 Coco Gauff, also on an impressive streak with 16 consecutive sets won this year, faced Tokyo Olympic champion Belinda Bencic in the second match on Rod Laver Arena on Day 8.

On the men’s side, No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz was competing against Jack Draper in the afternoon session while Novak Djokovic continued his pursuit of a record 25th Grand Slam singles title in a night match against Jiri Lehecka.

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