MADRID (AP) — Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka faced tough resistance in her opening match at the Madrid Open before beating Magda Linette 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 on Friday.
The second-ranked Sabalenka struggled with her serve at times, but the two-time Australian Open winner struck her 10th ace on match point at the Caja Magica in Spain’s capital.
Sabalenka got some help from the net to get a key break and go up 5-3 in the third set when Linette was unable to reach a shot by the Belarusian that clipped the top of the tape.
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek won her opening match on Thursday. Sabalenka beat Swiatek in last year’s final in Madrid and also won here in 2021.
Fourth-seeded Elena Rybakina beat Lucia Bronzetti 6-4, 6-3, while American Ashlyn Krueger downed Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-3, 6-3.
Mirra Andreeva, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Carolina Garcia, and Jasmine Paolini also advanced.
Related articles:
Related suggestion:
Sean 'Diddy' Combs: What we know about the accusations against himIsrael scraps visit after US allows passage of Gaza ceasefire resolutionTVNZ's Sunday cancelled, broadcaster confirmsBoy, 6, reported missing in south Auckland found safeACC admits it failed amputee over unpaid entitlementsWhere Baltimore bridge investigation goes nowWellington water: Threat of further restrictions recedesTwo homes, five vehicles, $80,000 seized in police operationAustralian farmers rip out millions of vines amid wine glut'Highly respected' tramper still missing in Pureora Forest after two weeks
3.5304s , 6499.8125 kb
Copyright © 2024 Powered by Defending champion Sabalenka advances at Madrid Open with a 3 ,Worldly Whispers news portal