MINSK, 11 May (BelTA) – Belarus' world number 8 Aryna Sabalenka needed 50 minutes to see off China's world number 42 Zhang Shuai, 6-2, 6-0, and reach the Italian Open second round, BelTA has learned.
In the round of Last 16 the Belarusian will face either world number 11 Jessica Pegula of the United States or Ukraine's world number 36 Anhelina Kalinina.
Belarus' world number 16 Victoria Azarenka will take on Colombia's world number 58 Osorio Serrano. In the opener Victoria Azarenka cruised past world number 56 Viktorija Golubic of Switzerland, 6-3, 6-0.
Belarus' world number 50 Aliaksandra Sasnovich will play Spain's world number 3 Paula Badosa. Aliaksandra Sasnovich defeated Russia's world number 28 Veronika Kudermetova, 3-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-1, in her opening match.
In the women's doubles event Belarus' Lidziya Marozava and Natela Dzalamidze of Russia lost to the U.S.-China duo Kaitlyn Christian and Han Xinyun, 6-7 (9-11), 3-6.
The tournament in the Italian capital will complete on 15 May. Then, the world's best tennis players will travel to Paris where Roland Garros will kick off on 22 May.
