World number 10 Aryna Sabalenka edged past Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic 7-5 6-4 after 1 hour and 40 minutes to reach the third round at the Abu Dhabi WTA WTA Women’s Tennis Open.
Sabalenka has extended her winning streak to eleven consecutive matches, as she followed up her back-to-back titles in Ostrava and Linz with her two match wins in Abu Dhabi.
Sabalenka now leads 2-1 in her three head-to-head matches against Tomljanovic, who beat her Belarusian rival in Miami 2019.
Sabalenka went up a 4-0 lead with a double break after a double fault from Tomljanovic.
In the fifth game Tomljanovic got back one break on her fourth opportunity for 1-4. The Australian player drew errors from Sabalenka and pulled back the second break to level to 5-5. Sabalenka held serve to love to take a 6-5 lead. Tomljanovic earned two game points at 40-15, as she was serving to stay in the match, but Sabalenka won four consecutive points to seal the first set 7-5 with a break in the 12th game at love.
Tomljanovic earned an early break in the first game of the second set. Sabalenka broke back in the fourth game to draw level to 2-2 with a backhand crosscourt passing shot. Both players traded breaks twice en route to 4-4. Sabalenka held serve to 30 to take a 5-4 lead and went up a 0-30 lead in the 10th game before Tomljanovic hit two forehands to draw level to 30-30. Sabalenka hit a return to force an error from Tomljanovic and brought up a match point. The Belarusian player sealed her opportunity with a forehand winner down the line.
Sabalenka set up a Round of 16 match against 2020 Australian Open quarter finalist and world number 15 Ons Jabeur fom Tunisia, who beat Kateryna Bondarenko. Jabeur beat Sabalenka in their only head-to-head match at last year’s Roland Garros.
“I am staying in the moment. I am just focusing on every match. I am just trying to focus on my game, work though everything, to try to do my best against every opponent, that’s it. This kind of mentality helped me to build my confidence”, said Sabalenka.
Sara Sorribes Torno came back from one set down to beat Bernarda Perra 5-7 6-3 6-4. Both players traded breaks in the fourth and fifth games of the first set. Sorribes Tormo came back from 1-3 down by winning four consecutive games to take a take a 5-3 lead. Pera broke twice to win the first set 7-5 with four consecutive games.
Sorribes Torno and Pera traded breaks twice en route to 3-3. Sorribes Torno won three consecutive games with two breaks in the seventh and ninth games to clinch the second set 6-3. Pera broke serve in the third game to open up a 4-2 lead, but Sorribes Tormo won four consecutive games with two breaks in the eighth and tenth games to seal the third set 6-4 after 2 hours and 23 minutes.
“I am really back and proud about my attitude. I think I started playing not so well. I started feeling a bit worried on court because of the wind and it’s a fast court”, said Sorribes Torno.
Spain’s Paula Badosa upset Alizé Cornet 6-4 6-4. In the first set Badosa went up a double break to take a 4-1 lead. Cornet pulled one break back in the sixth game for 2-4, but Badosa held her next service games to win the first set 6-4. Badosa claimed the second set 6-4 with a break in the fifth game.
The 23-year-old Spanish player reached the semifinal in Istanbul and reached her first Round of 16 at a Grand Slam tournament at Roland Garros last October. In the French Open she beat former Grand Slam champions Sloane Stephens and Jelena Ostapenko before losing to Laura Siegemund in the fourth round.
“For sure that helped me a lot with my confidence. I did a very good pre-season. I think it was the best one of my career. Now I think I am prepared to play every single match, tough ones, and recover good for the next ones. I think I made a step forward”, said Badosa.