On the Australian Open, high seed Aryna Sabalenka overcame just a few shaky video games to advance to the fourth spherical on Friday with a 7-6 (4), 7-6 (7) victory over Anastasia Potapova.
Sabalenka, searching for her third Australian Open title in 4 years, led 6-5, 40-0 within the first set, however Potapova saved all three set factors to power a tie-break. Within the tie-break, Sabalenka led 3-0, and Potapova tied the rating at 3-3.
Sabalenka defended two extra set factors and clinched the set with a backhand down the road off Potapova’s second serve.
After trailing 0-4 within the second set, Potapova rallied to tie the rating at 4-4 and power one other tiebreak. Within the tiebreak, Potapova had three set factors to win the set, however Sabalenka fought again when the stress got here on.
“She performed nice tennis,” Sabalenka stated of Potapova in an on-court tv interview. “I used to be at all times on the again foot. Some days you simply must combat, and it was a troublesome combat.”
Sabalenka received the Australian Open in 2023 and 2024 and was runner-up to Madison Keys a 12 months in the past. Sabalenka has additionally received the US Open twice.
Within the different girls’s match, third-seeded Coco Gauff overcame early troubles with fellow American Haley Baptiste to win 3-6, 6-0, 6-3. Gauff lower down on her unforced errors within the second set and didn’t commit any double faults on her serve.
when. 17 Victoria Mboko defeats 14th seed Clara Towson 7-6(5), 5-7, 6-3
The Related Press contributed to this report.
