MELBOURNE, Australia — Aryna Sabalenka admitted she was a little bit nervous heading into Sunday’s first-round victory on the Australian Open with Rod Laver and Roger Federer within the crowd.
No. 1 Sabalenka, who gained the Australian title in 2023 and 2024 and was runner-up to Madison Keys final 12 months, misplaced the primary three factors and dropped her first service recreation earlier than rallying to defeat Tiensoa Rakotomanga Rajona 6-4, 6-1.
“I did not get off to the most effective begin,” Sabalenka stated of 20-year-old left-handed wildcard entry Rakotomanga Rajona. “She confirmed up. She fired up. She performed nice.” “It was a difficult begin. I am very completely satisfied that I discovered my rhythm on the finish of the second set.”
Sabalenka ready for her first main of the season with the title, together with a quarter-final win over Keyes in Brisbane. She continues to do properly, getting into her 74th week at No. 1 within the girls’s rankings.
In an on-court interview, she stated she sneaked a peek and noticed Australian nice Laver, whose principal court docket is known as in his honour, and Federer, a 20-time main champion, sitting subsequent to him.
“I am a giant fan and I needed to indicate some nice tennis so that you guys can watch me play and luxuriate in it,” she stated. “There was definitely some strain. I used to be strolling round pondering, ‘Do not take a look at me, do not take a look at me!'”
She shook it off, discovered a rhythm and was completely satisfied together with her straight-set victory.
“To begin with, that is your first recreation, proper? You are at all times attempting to determine the place you’re,” she stated.
Two seeded gamers have been eradicated in Sunday afternoon’s opening spherical, with Elsa Jacquemot defeating No. 20 Marta Kostyuk 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4), 7-6 (7) and Turkish qualifier Zeynep Sonmez defeating No. 11 Ekaterina Alexandrova 7-5, 4-6, 6-4.
Sonmez briefly suspended the match within the second set to assist the ball children, who gave the impression to be struggling within the warmth, earlier than the match’s medical staff took over.
Seventh seed Jasmine Paolini defeated Aliaksandra Sasnovic 6-1, 6-2, whereas No. 12 Elina Svitolina and Maria Salter additionally superior in straight units.
Former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrusova withdrew as a result of a shoulder damage earlier than her scheduled first spherical match, and fortunate loser Taylor Townsend was given a spot in the primary draw to face Hayley Baptiste.
Within the two-and-a-half hour All-American match held on court docket 13, Baptiste gained 6-3, 6-7(3), 6-3.
