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It seemed as though Sabalenka would be pushed to playing a third set against the Spaniard in their second round encounter at the AO 2025 but the Belarusian held strong to wrap the match up in two sets to advance.
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus plays a forehand return to Jessica Bouzas Maneiro of Spain during their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Two-time defending Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka moved into the third round of the year’s first Grand Slam event with a win over Jessica Bouzas Maneiro at the Rod Laver Arena on Tuesday.
The 26-year-old Belarusian star posted a 6-3, 7-5 triumph over her Spanish opponent to inch a step closer to becoming the first woman to do a three-peat of the AO after Martina Hingis who claimed the title in all three years between 1997 and 1999.
For a minute though, it seemed as though Sabalenka would be pushed to playing a third set against the Spaniard but the Belarusian held on strong to wrap the match up in two sets to advance.
“I definitely didn’t want a third set. Who wants it? But at that moment I didn’t really want to get bothered by that and let go of the set,” Sabalenka said following the conclusion of the game.
“I told myself, ‘OK, let’s go play a third’ and I somehow mentally prepared myself for that, tried to find my serve to not to give her too many chances,” she added.
“Then somehow it seemed to me that she got tense when it got to 5-3 and I felt there was an opportunity. I’m very glad that I managed to finish in two sets,” the holder elaborated.
“I didn’t really want to get too physically exhausted in the second round,” she said.
Elsewhere, Laura Siegemund posted a major upset as she knocked Zheng Qinwen out of the event in Melbourne with a 7-6(3) 6-3 triumph over the third-seed.
When quizzed if Qinwen’s exit makes the title defence easier for the 26-year-old, Sabalenka opened up on the challenges of playing against unfancied players who could spring a surprise.
“Listen, it’s a slam, you know? Not everyone can handle these emotions,” Sabalenka said.
“As you can see, there are so many players who are playing really well in these conditions. It’s not like if they’re gone, it’s easy for me. No, it’s not,” she added.
“I have to go there, I have to compete, I have to fight. Today’s match proved that. Girls can go there and just play without any fear, without anything to lose,” the three-time Grand Slam champion said.
“They can put you in really uncomfortable positions,” she added.
Sabalenka is slated to take on Clara Tauson of Denmark in the third round of the AO on the 17th of January.
