Did Sabalenka Just Eliminate Mboko to Secure Her 13th Consecutive Grand Slam Quarterfinal?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Aryna Sabalenka continues her dominance at the Australian Open.
- She has reached her 13th consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal.
- Sabalenka has set a new record with 20 consecutive tiebreak wins.
- Her next match will be against Iva Jovic.
- She remains unbeaten in sets throughout the tournament.
Melbourne, Jan 25 (NationPress) World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka triumphed over Victoria Mboko with a scoreline of 6-1, 7-6 (1) during the Australian Open, marking her advancement to the quarterfinals for the fourth consecutive year.
This victory secures her place in the 13th consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal and represents a significant move towards having her name etched on the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup for a third time.
Sabalenka has now achieved her 20th consecutive tiebreak win at the Grand Slam level, surpassing a nearly two-decade-old record held by Novak Djokovic, who won 19 tiebreaks in majors from 2005 to 2007.
She began the match in dominating fashion, racing to a 6-1, 4-1 lead in just over 45 minutes. However, the top seed faced challenges in the second set, experiencing two service breaks, including at 5-4, after failing to convert three match points.
At one point, she was just two points away from a third set when Mboko brought the 12th game to deuce. Ultimately, Sabalenka found herself in a situation she has excelled in over the past 18 months: a tiebreak set at a Grand Slam, extending her unbeaten streak in such scenarios to 20 and successfully overcoming Mboko's challenge in 1 hour and 26 minutes, as reported by WTA.
“What an incredible player for such a young age; it’s amazing to witness these young talents rising in the tour. She really pushed me today, and I’m extremely pleased with the win. It was quite a battle, and I’m thrilled that I managed to close this match in straight sets,” said the two-time champion, who has not dropped a set.
In the upcoming quarterfinal on Tuesday, Sabalenka will face 29th seed Iva Jovic, who secured her place in the final four with an impressive 6-0, 6-1 victory over Yulia Putintseva.