MINSK, 21 January (BelTA) – Belarus' world number 25 Victoria Azarenka dismissed Ukraine's world number 17 Elina Svitolina, 6-0, 6-2, to reach the fourth round in Melbourne, BelTA has learned.
The two-time Australian Open winner will next face world number 4 Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic. 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. The Belarusian won the Australian Open in 2012 and 2013.
Belarus' world number 2 Aryna Sabalenka will play world number 41 Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic in the round of Last 32. 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.
Belarus' Aliaksandra Sasnovich and Russia's Anna Blinkova lost to Belgium-Russia duo Elise Mertens and Veronika Kudermetova, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3, 6-3, in the women's doubles opener. Earlier, Lidziya Marozava of Belarus and U.S. Kaitlyn Christian failed to advance into the second round of the Australian Open doubles event, losing to Croatia-U.S. duo Petra Martic and Shelby Rogers, 1-6, 6-7 (4-7).
In the men's doubles opener Belarus' Andrei Vasilevski and Jonny O'Mara of the UK beat Australia-U.S. tandem Mackenzie McDonald and John Millman, 6-2, 6-2.
The first tournament of the 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.
