MINSK, 20 January (BelTA) – Belarus' world number 2 Aryna Sabalenka rallied to beat China's world number 100 Wang Xinyu, 1-6, 6-4, 6-2, to move into the Australian Open third round, BelTA has learned.
The match lasted for 1 hour and 55 minutes. The Belarusian will next play world number 41 Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic. Aryna Sabalenka saw off Australia's world number 128 Storm Sanders, 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, in the opening round.
On 21 January two-time Australian Open winner, world number 25 Victoria Azarenka of Belarus will face Ukraine's world number 17 Elina Svitolina for a spot in the round of Last 16. 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' Aliaksandra Sasnovich and Russia's Anna Blinkova will open their Australian Open doubles run against Belgium-Russia duo Elise Mertens and Veronika Kudermetova. 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 will take on Australia-U.S. tandem Mackenzie McDonald and John Millman.
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.
