World number one Aryna Sabalenka made many mistakes in the third round of the Australian Open – but she extended her impressive winning streak.
Tiebreak queen Aryna Sabalenka is in the round of 16 at the Australian Open. However, the world number one had to work hard for her narrow victory over new Austrian Anastassija Potapowa. Her strong opponent demanded everything from the strong-nerved Sabalenka in a 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (9-7) win.
“She played incredible tennis. Sometimes there are days when you just have to fight,” said Sabalenka, who extended a spectacular winning streak. She has now won 19 consecutive tiebreaks at Grand Slam tournaments. In the second set, in which she had already led 4-0 in games, Sabalenka had to fend off four set points.
In the round of 16, the 27-year-old now faces a duel with Canada’s rising star Victoria Mboko. The 19-year-old Hong Kong winner prevailed in a close match against Clara Tauson 7-6 (7-5), 5-7, 6-3. Sabalenka, who lost last year’s final to Madison Keys of the United States, is aiming for her fifth Grand Slam title Down Under. Potapova, who was born in Russia and has been living in Vienna for some time, has been playing for Austria since this year.