MINSK, 24 January (BelTA) – Belarus' world number 25 Victoria Azarenka lost to world number 4 Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic, 2-6, 2-6, in the Australian Open round of Last 16, BelTA has learned.
The Czech player will next take on world number 51 Madison Keys of the United States.
The former world number one kicked off her campaign in Melbourne with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Hungary's world number 98 Panna Udvardy. Then, Victoria Azarenka picked up a swift victory over world number 34 Jil Belen Teichmann of Switzerland, 6-1, 6-2, and dismissed Ukraine's world number 17 Elina Svitolina, 6-0, 6-2, to reach the fourth round. The Belarusian won the Australian Open in 2012 and 2013.
Belarusian world number 2 Aryna Sabalenka will face Estonia's world number 115 Kaia Kanepi in the round of Last 16. Aryna Sabalenka saw off Australia's world number 128 Storm Sanders, 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, in the opening round and rallied to beat China's world number 100 Wang Xinyu, 1-6, 6-4, 6-2, in the second. In the third round the Belarusian proved stronger over world number 41 Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1.
The first tournament of the new Grand Slam season will be over on 30 January. The event's prize money totals $53.9 million. Last year the Australian Open men's event was won by Serbia's Novak Djokovic, the women's event by Naomi Osaka of Japan.
