The world number two beat Chinese tennis player Qinwen Zheng, 6-3, 6-2. She is the first tennis player to win the trophy in consecutive years since Azarenka in 2013.
Aryna Sabalenka (2nd WTA) is once again the queen of Australia. With perfect tennis, the world number two added a new big to her room. The second of his career. She achieved this after beating Chinese tennis player Qinwen Zheng (15th), 6-3 and 6-2, who could not surprise during the first Grand Slam of the year.
And despite the high level of the Asian in Melbourne, playing in a Grand Slam final is something complex. Emotions and nervousness multiply, even more so when you are not the favorite. Added to this is the fact that during the two weeks spent in Australia I hadn’t faced any top 50 players led to a complicated start for Qinwen Zheng.
On the other side of the network, it’s quite the opposite. Cowardly and aggressive, Sabalenka took out her reigning champion badge. He won the first game almost alone with his serve, then broke from the start with a style that always sought to make his backhand uncomfortable. Then, during the third match, he was able to overturn a 0-40 deficit to calm the spirits of the stands which mainly displayed Chinese flags. A surprising detail if we think that the Belarusian is one of the biggest stars on the women’s circuit. but it makes sense when you consider the strong presence that this country’s culture (and people) has had in Australia for decades.
The party found more parity after this confirmation of rupture. Zheng broke the tie with a great service game, but Sabalenka played his game. He pressed when it was his turn to serve and waited for the opportunity so he could punish again with the return, which he almost succeeded in the eighth game, where he had three break (and set) points that he couldn’t take. advantage of. Of course, there was no room for drama as he closed the set with his serve.
A 6-3 which was mainly explained by the experience and consistency of the two world players. In the only moment of the set where he did not show his best tennis, he managed to maintain the result. Zheng, for his part, paid dearly for the initial disconnect.
The worst part was that the learning wasn’t immediate, so the second set started almost exactly the same way. A break in the first game, with two double faults included, tipped the scales in favor of Sabalenka, who once again made it clear that she was at a superlative level, number one, even if she is not there yet to reach the rankings. A second punishment in the service of the Chinese buried any chance of surprise. With a margin, he sealed the match with a resounding 6-2.
This is how he obtained his second Grand Slam title and transformed himself the first double Australian Open champion since 2013, when Victoria Azarenka lifted her last trophy in Melbourne . This Monday, she will continue to be world number two, just 900 points behind an Iga Swiatek who defends the championship in Doha and Stuttgart, the final in Dubai and Madrid and the semi-final in Indian Wells before returning to Roland Garros where she won. the title in 2023.
Sabalenka, for her part, knows that if she wants to become one again, she must improve on what she achieved in tournaments like Indian Wells, Stuttgart and Madrid. She will do so with the guarantee of having been Australian champion without giving up a single set, losing only 31 games in seven matches.
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Source: Latercera
I’m Rose Brown , a journalist and writer with over 10 years of experience in the news industry. I specialize in covering tennis-related news for Athletistic, a leading sports media website. My writing is highly regarded for its quick turnaround and accuracy, as well as my ability to tell compelling stories about the sport.
