Aryna Sabalenka starts strong in her Paris opener, losing only one game
FRANCE: World number one Aryna Sabalenka impressively made a strong start to her French Open campaign, losing just one game in a fierce win over Kamilla Rakhimova.
Sabalenka showed how dedicated she was to winning as the match went on. The athlete only needed an hour to gain a 6-1, 6-0 victory, and she had won the last nine games in a row.
In a social media post, Sabalenka shared: 'Round 1 ✅ @rolandgarros'
Netizens commented on the post and said: 'Another grand Slam loading for you ❤️🙌', 'The best player in the world 👏,' 'What a way to start! 🙌,' and 'love you so much～Focused and determined～Definitely keep going😘'
The Belarusian player looked confident and dominant from the beginning of the match. She used her big serve and powerful groundstrokes to take control of her opponent and gave her little to no chance of securing a win.
It is known that the clay surface was not Sabalenka's strongest suit, but her performance proved that she has been adapting to the surface very well. Her ability to hit 30 winners and take over the match simply showed that she is not only relying on her strength alone but is also playing smart. See also Amanda Anisimova wins her first WTA 1000 title
Sabalenka has never reached the finals of the French Open, but the opening results highlighted that she could possibly be a tough opponent to beat for this season's title. Collecting memories
After Sabalenka's easy victory against Rakhimova, she pulled out a Polaroid camera to take photos of her bags and the court. This has been a fun tradition that the athlete started this season. For her, it is a way of capturing memories from each tournament, adding a personal touch to her journey on tour.
In her on-court interview with former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli, Sabalenka expressed: 'The idea was to take some good moments in my life—I started in December and I already have a pretty big album… When I feel sad, I go through the album and remember the good moments, they give me good vibes.'
She added, 'The album is full of my team, which is annoying sometimes, but it is good fun.' What's next for Sabalenka?
The World No. 1 could face Chinese eighth seed Zheng Qinwen in the quarter-finals. The Chinese athlete defeated 2021 runner-up Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova with a final scoreline of 6-4, 6-3 in her first match.
If Sabalenka continues to progress in the tournament, she might face three-time defending champion Iga Swiatek in the semi-finals.
However, she needed to get past Swiss player Jil Teichmann in the second round. The athlete secured her spot by defeating the Italian qualifier Lucrezia Stefanini with scores of 6-4, 6-4.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
an hour ago
- CNA
Andreescu and Alexandrova off to winning start as rain stops play in 's-Hertogenbosch
Bianca Andreescu and second seed Ekaterina Alexandrova both kicked off their grasscourt campaigns with solid first-round wins at the Libema Open in Den Bosch, as rain caused significant delays throughout Tuesday's second day of play. Andreescu eased past Taiwan's Joanna Garland 6-1 6-3 as the 24-year-old Canadian put on a strong performance without facing a single break point and secured victory in 74 minutes. The former U.S. Open champion, who missed out on qualifying for Roland Garros, will next face New Zealand's Lulu Sun. Alexandrova advanced to the second round with a composed 6-3 6-4 win over Georgia's Mariam Bolkvadze, despite a lengthy rain delay disrupting the first set. The Russian returned from the interruption unfazed, taking control from the baseline and racing to a 5-2 lead in the second set. After being broken while serving for the match and facing another break point in her next service game, Alexandrova regained her composure to close out the win and set up an all-Russian second-round showdown with Anna Blinkova. The match between defending champion Liudmila Samsonova and Canada's qualifier Carson Branstine was tied at one set apiece before the game was suspended due to darkness. Branstine had stunned top seed Samsonova by taking the first set 6-4 before the Russian levelled the match by winning the second 7-5. Play will resume on Wednesday. In the men's draw, American Reilly Opelka also overcame several rain delays to see off local favourite Jesper de Jong with a hard-fought 6-7(5) 7-6(5) 6-2 victory. Several matches had to be postponed to Wednesday due to rain, including Polish fifth seed Hubert Hurkacz against Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut, Briton Daniel Evans against Australia's Rinky Hijikata, and Greece's Maria Sakkari taking on Dutch wildcard Anouk Koevermans.
CNA
4 hours ago
- CNA
Engel claims upset win in first professional match on grass in Stuttgart
German teen Justin Engel had never played a professional tennis match on grass but on Tuesday he showed he could be a force to reckon with at the Stuttgart Open when he overcame Australian James Duckworth, who sits 187 rungs above him in the rankings. Engel, ranked 281 in the world, arrived at the tournament having played only five matches on the ATP Tour, with the 17-year-old a regular on the Challenger Tour where he has played on clay and hardcourts. After slowly coming to grips with the green surface, Engel forced a decider but found himself a break down and even needed treatment for dizziness before triumphing 4-6 6-4 7-6(5) in nearly 2-1/2 hours. When Duckworth's return on match point found the net, the Australian nearly smashed his racket but controlled himself while a relieved Engel sank to the grass in disbelief before throwing his cap into the air in delight. "I'm really proud of myself, it was my first grass match," said Engel, who fired 32 winners past Duckworth. "I know this match was tough and I'm pretty happy with this result. I can't wait to play the next round." American 19-year-old Learner Tien also advanced from his first match on grass but only after his opponent Yoshihito Nishioka retired when Tien had levelled the match at one set apiece. Meanwhile, Arthur Rinderknech led a bevy of Frenchmen into the second round when he upset fifth seed Denis Shapovalov 6-4 2-6 6-0. Rinderknech has not had the best of starts this season with only four wins and 14 losses heading into his first grasscourt tournament. His compatriots Corentin Moutet and Quentin Halys also went the distance in their respective matches to come out on top against a pair of Italians. While Moutet beat Italian wildcard Fabio Fognini 6-4 6-7(3) 6-3, Halys came from behind to get the better of Lorenzo Sonego with a 6-7(6) 7-5 6-4 victory. However, 38-year-old Frenchman Gael Monfils was knocked out when American seventh seed Alex Michelsen won 6-4 4-6 6-3.
Straits Times
8 hours ago
- Straits Times
From clay to spray: Nadal's team leads electric charge on Adriatic waves
From clay to spray: Nadal's team leads electric charge on Adriatic waves As Rafa Nadal gets used life after tennis, he has let go of his racquets to spend time on the Adriatic waves, steering his Team Rafa into electric powerboat racing's E1 World Championship in Dubrovnik. Days after the retired 14-times Roland Garros champion was immortalised at the French Open with a permanent footprint on centre court's famed red clay, the Spaniard's racing team tops a tightly contested series heading into the Croatian round, following a dramatic victory last time out in Doha. Team Rafa currently leads the standings following success in Doha, as the electric boat racing series begins its European leg on June 13-14 along Croatia's coast. The tennis great's boat is piloted by Spanish professional jet ski racer Cristina Lazarrage and Frenchman Tom Chiappe. The E1 World Championship is the first all-electric raceboat series sanctioned by powerboating's global governing body, the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM), and is designed to accelerate innovation in sustainable marine technology and coastal conservation. Teams featuring both male and female pilots compete in electric-powered RaceBird boats, racing through urban water circuits in iconic global cities. Celebrity owners include LeBron James, Tom Brady, Virat Kohli and Didier Drogba as well as 22-times Grand Slam champion Nadal. The championship continues to Lake Maggiore and Monaco before concluding in Miami, where "Champions of the Water" will be crowned on Nov. 8. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
