Australian Open 2022: Sabalenka, Swiatek advance to the third round
Number two seed in women's singles Aryna Sabalenka moved to the third round of the Australian Open on Thursday. Sabalenka came from behind to beat Wang Xinyu 1-6, 6-4, 6-2. Meanwhile, No.7 seed Iga Swiatek sealed a 6-2, 6-2 win over Sweden's Rebecca Peterson to advance to the third round at Melbourne Park for the third straight year. Here are further details.
Why does it matter?
Sabalenka survived a scare to make a promising return and getting past the line. She had 12 double faults in the first set. Notably, Sabalenka has won both matches at this year's Australian Open, coming from behind. Meanwhile, Swiatek showed authority, gaining a quick start. Notably, she won eight of the first 10 points as well as the first four games.
Sabalenka comes from behind to post victory
Sabalenka had to dig deep once again and get a crucial win. This has been the theme of her show in Melbourne. Sabalenka made 19 double faults in total, besides firing five aces. She has improved her Australian Open record to 7-4. Overall, she has a 28-16 win-loss record at Grand Slams. The win will give her plenty of confidence going forward.
Swiatek gets the job done
Polish player Swiatek needed just 67 minutes to gain victory. As per WTA, Swiatek notched her second career win against Peterson at a major in the span of a year. She had beaten her in the same round of last year's French Open, losing just two games. Swiatek will next take on No.25 Daria Kasatkina, who beat Magda Linette 6-2, 6-3.
Swiatek credits her start for getting a win
"Just starting the match with confidence was pretty important for me," Swiatek said after the match. "I felt like I was dominating from the beginning, and after getting a couple of breaks, it was much easier to go forward. That was the key, basically."
Key results in women's singles
Samantha Stosur's singles career came to an end in a low fashion after she suffered a 2-6, 2-6 defeat against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Danka Kovinic stunned 2021 US Open winner Emma Raducanu 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. Earlier on the day, Tamara Zidansek overcame Heather Watson 7-6, 6-4. Elise Mertens also progressed after overcoming Irina-Camelia Begu 6-3, 6-2.
