US Open: Aryna Sabalenka wins late-night affair against Ekaterina Alexandrova
Aryna Sabalenka, the runner-up from last year's tournament, triumphed in the third-round match at the US Open 2024. Despite an unusually late start time of 12:08am (local time), she managed to secure a victory against Ekaterina Alexandrova with a scoreline of 2-6, 6-1, and 6-2. This match marked the latest start in the history of this prestigious tennis event. Sabalenka has now raced to a 4-3 win-loss record over Alexandrova on the WTA Tour. Here's more.
A look at match stats
Sabalenka won a total of 80 points and 23 winners throughout the match. Sabalenka served five aces, one less than Alexandrova. However, the former had a win percentage of 69 and 52 in the first and second serves, respectively. She won 35 of her 73 receiving points. Sabalenka recorded 26 unforced errors, while both players committed four double faults.
Sabalenka's initial struggles and eventual triumph
Sabalenka's performance initially faltered due to a series of unforced errors, leading her to lose the first set in just 33 minutes. However, she quickly regained her form and secured a 3-1 lead in the second set. Despite being broken after a 5-0 lead in the final set, Sabalenka managed to clinch victory with a backhand winner that thrilled the late-night audience.
Sabalenka expresses gratitude to fans
Following her victory, Sabalenka expressed her gratitude to the fans who stayed up late to watch the match. She is now set to face Elise Mertens, seeded No. 33, in a match scheduled for Sunday. Despite the late finish of her previous game, Sabalenka humorously suggested that she had already completed her practice session for the day due to the unusual timing of the match.
Sabalenka eyes this feat
Sabalenka started the year by defending her Australian Open title in January. As per WTA, she could become the first woman to win both hard-court Grand Slams in the same season since Angelique Kerber in 2016.
14-1 win-loss record for Sabalenka at Grand Slam events
Sabalenka has raced to a 73-23 win-loss record at Grand Slams, including 24-6 at the US Open. The 2023 season finalist had reached two successive US Open semi-finals before that. Sabalenka, who missed Wimbledon, is 14-1 this season at Slam events.
