Sabalenka Advances to Madrid Open Third Round with Straight-Set Victory

MADRID: World number one Aryna Sabalenka initiated her Madrid Open 2024 quest impressively on Friday, securing a straight-set victory over Anna Blinkova of Russia.

Aiming for her third Madrid title, Sabalenka demonstrated her expertise on clay courts with a commanding 6-3, 6-4 win.

Sabalenka, a Madrid champion in 2021 and 2023 and runner-up to Iga Swiatek the previous year, improved her tournament record to 18 wins and four losses.

The Belarusian player surged to a 5-0 lead in the first set, achieving a double break. Although she conceded one break, she clinched the set on her third attempt after 48 minutes.

An early break in the second set was sufficient for Sabalenka to win the match and secure her place in the third round, where she is slated to compete against either Elise Mertens, her former doubles partner, or Camila Osorio from Colombia.

While Sabalenka has achieved significant success on hard courts, including all three of her Grand Slam titles, she has also proven her skill on clay, securing two titles from nine finals on the surface.

Nevertheless, the 26-year-old admitted that Roland Garros remains a challenging objective.

Sabalenka’s Comments

“Each visit there feels like a difficult task, even though I enjoy clay-court matches,” Sabalenka stated regarding her aspirations for the French Open.

“I am always willing to face difficult challenges. I am optimistic about winning that beautiful trophy one day,” she added.

In other tournament news, Paula Badosa, a local favorite, withdrew due to a lower back injury, following Carlos Alcaraz, who had previously withdrawn due to hamstring and adductor problems.