The current champion of Belarus, Aryna Sabalenka, made history at the Australian Open with a decisive 6-0, 6-0 triumph against Lesia Tsurenko, the 28th seed, in a fast-paced, breathtaking match.
The match took place on Rod Laver Arena, where the bright red-clad Sabalenka gave a lightning-fast 52-minute lesson in tennis mastery.
With each stroke, Sabalenka surged forward, displaying an unshakable desire from the first serve. Tsurenko, the Ukrainian competitor, was consistently outclassed and outmaneuverred. In the opening set, Sabalenka’s aggressive play style gave Tsurenko a pitiful 11 points, while the Belarusian scored an astounding 27.
In the second set, Sabalenka carried on with her unrelenting attack, mirroring the first. Tsurenko made three attempts to break her opponent’s serve in an attempt to salvage some points on her own, but Sabalenka firmly closed the door. Ten victories in the second set helped the Belarusian’s unrelenting attack triumph as Tsurenko erred with a forehand into the net.
Sabalenka has had an incredible path to the Australian Open in 2024. The reigning champion’s incredible play is reminiscent of her breakthrough year of 2023, when she won the Australian Open and advanced to the Wimbledon and Roland Garros championships. Sabalenka hasn’t faced many serious challenges yet in Melbourne, as she easily defeated 16-year-old Brenda Fruhvirtova and German qualifier Ella Seidel.
After an eight-month break from Grand Slam action, unseeded American Amanda Anisimova presents Sabalenka with her next task as the tournament moves forward.
Sabalenka expressed excitement about taking on Anisimova, expecting a tough fight between two strong rivals with a history of hard matches.
