MELBOURNE — Two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka began her Australian
Open title defense with a straight sets 6-3, 6-2 victory over Sloane Stephens
in the first round here on Sunday.
World no. 1 Sabalenka is bidding to become the first woman
since Martina Hingis to pull off a three-peat in Melbourne. The Swiss star won
three consecutive titles in the season's first major from 1997 to 1999.
Seeded No. 1 for the first time at a Grand Slam, Sabalenka
is also looking to become the first top seed to win the Australian Open women's
singles title since Ashleigh Barty sealed her home Slam in 2022, according to
WTA stats.
Sabalenka, the reigning champion at the Australian Open and
US Open, won on Sunday, which extended her win streak at hard-court majors to
15. Since the start of the 2023 season, she had an outstanding 28-1 win/loss
record at hard-court Slams, with her only loss coming in three sets in the 2023
US Open final to young American sensation Coco Gauff.
Sabalenka raced to a 3-0 lead in just seven minutes, and
though Stephens fought back to 4-3, Sabalenka broke her serve again to maintain
control. Sabalenka finished the match with 20 winners and broke Stephens five
times from 13 break points.
Sabalenka will face Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in the second
round. In her Australian Open main-draw debut, the 22-year-old Spaniard eased
past Great Britain's Sonay Kartal 6-1, 7-6.
In other matches, Paula Badosa defeated Xinyu Wang 6-3, 7-6
(7-5) to make it to the second round, where she will meet either Turkish player
Zeynep Sonmez or Australian wild card Talia Gibson.
Meanwhile, Leylah Fernandez of Canada progressed to the
second round with a 7-5, 6-4 win over Ukrainian player Yuliia Starodubtseva.
She will next take on the winner of the match between Spaniard Cristina Bucsa
and Chloe Paquet of France.
