Australian Open: Sabalenka Overcomes Tauson to Advance to Round of 16
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Synopsis
In a thrilling match at the Australian Open, Aryna Sabalenka defeated Clara Tauson 7-6 (5), 6-4, securing her place in the round of 16. This victory marks her fifth consecutive year reaching this stage, adding to her impressive streak of consecutive matches won at this tournament.
Key Takeaways
- Aryna Sabalenka won against Clara Tauson 7-6 (5), 6-4.
- Sabalenka becomes the first woman to reach the Round of 16 for five straight years since Simona Halep.
- She recorded her 17th straight match win at the Australian Open.
- Sabalenka has to reach the semifinals to retain her World No. 1 ranking.
- Match duration was 2 hours and 6 minutes.
Melbourne, Jan 17 (NationPress) World No.1 and two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka triumphed over Denmark's Clara Tauson, ranked 42nd, with a score of 7-6 (5), 6-4 in their third-round encounter on Rod Laver Arena, securing her spot in the round of 16 at the Australian Open on Friday.
Sabalenka faced a challenging start, trailing 5-3 in the first set before rallying back against the former Junior World No. 1 Tauson in a match that lasted 2 hours and 6 minutes. This victory marks her achievement as the first woman to reach the Australian Open Round of 16 for five consecutive years since Simona Halep did so from 2018 to 2022.
Additionally, Sabalenka has now notched her 17th consecutive match victory at the Australian Open, a record for women since Victoria Azarenka accomplished 18 straight wins in Melbourne from 2012 to 2014.
Tauson initially dominated, breaking Sabalenka's serve to lead 5-3 and had the opportunity to serve for the first set. However, Sabalenka fought back and gained four set points on Tauson’s serve at 6-5.
During the tiebreak, Tauson came back from a 4-1 deficit to lead 5-4, but Sabalenka responded with an impressive backhand return winner, allowing her to set up a fifth set point at 6-5. A final forehand winner from the World No. 1 clinched a hard-fought first set in 63 minutes.
In the second set, Sabalenka took control, overcoming a lengthy 13-minute service game to break for a 5-4 lead. While serving for the match, she faced two break points but managed to withstand the pressure. She concluded the match with a decisive backhand winner.
Sabalenka still has the opportunity to maintain her World No. 1 ranking following the Australian Open; however, she must reach at least the semifinals to retain that position post-event. Either she or Iga Swiatek will emerge as the No. 1 player after the Melbourne tournament.
