Aryna Sabalenka, the fifth seed, continued her impressive performance at the Australian Open with a victory over Elise Mertens, securing her spot in the fourth round.
Sabalenka, who is striving for her first Grand Slam singles title, defeated her Belgian former doubles partner 6-2 6-3 on Saturday.
The Belarusian player has yet to lose a match in 2023, having won the Adelaide International 1 title prior to the first major of the year. Next, she will face Swiss player Belinda Bencic, the 12th seed, who reached the fourth round with a 6-2 7-5 win over Camila Giorgi of Italy.
Bencic is currently on a nine-match winning streak, having won the Adelaide International 2 title earlier in January. Sabalenka acknowledged that she would have to be “like a tiger” to defeat Bencic, as both players have yet to drop a set at Melbourne Park.
In addition to Sabalenka and Bencic, several other players also advanced to the last 16 in the women’s singles on Saturday. Karolina Pliskova, a former world number one, defeated Russia’s Varvara Gracheva 6-4 6-2, while Donna Vekic defeated Spain’s Nuria Parrizas Diaz 6-2 6-2. Czech teenager Linda Fruhvirtova, at just 17 years old, reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time with a 7-5 2-6 6-3 win over compatriot Marketa Vondrousova.
In the women’s doubles, American pair Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula beat Wang Xinyu of China and Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima 7-5 6-1 to reach the third round. The doubles tournament has also seen strong performances from other teams, with several top seeds still in the running for the title.
As the tournament continues, the competition is heating up and fans can expect to see some exciting matches in the coming days. With many top players still in contention, the Australian Open is shaping up to be one of the most competitive Grand Slams in recent years.
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