Aryna Sabalenka has launched her bid for a third successive Australian Open title with a 6-3 6-2 demolition of former US Open champion Sloane Stephens on a wet opening day of the main round in Melbourne.
Despite the power-hitting show at Rod Laver Arena on Sunday, Sabalenka was nowhere near her peak as she was broken twice by the American in a wayward first set, but she steadied with the help of her pulverising forehand to claim a 15th successive win at hardcourt Grand Slams.
The stand-out hardcourt player in the women’s game, Sabalenka, stormed to a 4-0 lead over Stephens in the first set as fans were still settling in their seats for day one’s first evening match on centre court.
Though Stephens broke her twice to claw back to 4-3, Sabalenka regrouped to claim the set with strong net play and customary aggression.
Sabalenka will play Spaniard Jessica Bouzas Maneiro for a place in the third round in her bid to become the first woman to pull off the Australian Open “threepeat” since Martina Hingis (1997-99).
Meanwhile, men’s second seed Alexander Zverev barely needed to get out of third gear as the German cruised past Frenchman Lucas Pouille 6-4 6-4 6-4.
Twice Grand Slam runner-up Zverev has made no secret of his ambition to lift a maiden major at Melbourne Park this year and the 2024 semifinalist hit the ground running.
Lebanon’s Hady Habib made history by becoming the first player from his country to win a Grand Slam match when he beat China’s Bu Yunchaokete in front of a frenzied crowd out on Court 13.
World number 219 Habib is the only Lebanese ever, man or woman, to come through qualifying and reach the main draw at one of the four majors.
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