Sabalenka defeated Stephens to begin her bid for a 3rd Australian Open title

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) – Aryna Sabalenka started her bid to change into the primary lady in a century to win three consecutive Australian Open titles, eliminating 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens 6-3, 6-2 on Sunday night time in 71 solely. minutes.

Sabalenka was ranked No. 1 in a Grand Slam match for the primary time and he or she was not good on this first spherical match – “It is not like I performed very effectively, perhaps,” she mentioned – it was excellent.

As there’s a large server in girls’s tennis, Sabalenka did not hit her first ace till the fifteenth sport of the match and completed with solely two.

He gained his first main at Melbourne Park in 2023, then added one other final January, earlier than taking his tally to a few Slam titles on the US Open in September.

The final lady to win the Australian Open three years in a row was Martina Hingis from 1997 to 1999.

“I am very blissful to be again,” mentioned Sabalenka. “I like this place.”

Within the second spherical, Sabalenka will face Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, who upset reigning champion Marketa Vondrousova at Wimbledon in 2024.