It took Aryna Sabalenka 61 minutes to defeat the world No. 76 Bronzetti and reach the third round, firing five aces against one double fault and 24 winners against 17 unforced errors.
– The playing conditions were difficult due to the heat. I am glad that thanks to the support of the fans I won quite quickly – said Sabalenka, two-time winner of the Australian Open (2023-24), on the Louis Armstrong court.
After the match, Sabalenka noticed a special fan in the stands who was rooting for her. The little girl was dressed just like her idol, and what’s more, she had a tattoo on her hand, the same as Sabalenka. The ladies posed for a group photo.
Since 2016, Sabalenka has had a tattoo of a tiger on her left forearm. In an interview with “L’Equipe” years ago, Sabalenka explained the origins of the tattoo. “I was born in 1998, the year of the tiger. I dated a guy who was covered in tattoos. I thought a tiger might suit me. I’m a fighter and I never give up. At first, I hated tattoos, as did my parents. My mom didn’t talk to me for a week after I got it,” Sabalenka said.
The next opponent of Aryna Sabalenka – last year’s finalist – will be the 31st seeded Russian Ekaterina Aleksandrova.
Aryna Sabalenka missed the Wimbledon Grand Slam this year due to injury. She also did not play in the Olympic Games in Paris. However, since the beginning of August she has been playing on hard courts in the USA, which resulted in, among other things, a spectacular victory in the prestigious tournament in Cincinnati.
Results of Wednesday’s 2nd round matches of the US Open women’s tennis tournament in the Grand Slam:
Elise Mertens (Belgium) – Ajla Tomljanovic (Australia) 6:3, 6:2
Jule Niemeier (Germany) – Moyuka Uchijima (Japan) 6:4, 6:0
Paula Badosa (Spain, 26) – Taylor Townsend (USA) 6:3, 7:5
Elena-Gabriela Ruse (Romania) – Barbora Krejcikova (Czech Republic, 8) 6:4, 7:5
Madison Keys (USA, 14) – Maya Joint (Australia) 6:4, 6:0
Qinwen Zheng (China, 7) – Erika Andreeva (Russia) 6:7 (3-7), 6:1, 6:2
Yafan Wang (China) – Diane Parry (France) 6:0, 6:4
Marta Kostiuk (Ukraine, 19) – Harriet Dart (Great Britain) 7:6 (12-10), 6:1
Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus, 2) – Lucia Bronzetti (Italy) 6:3, 6:1
Yekaterina Aleksandrova (Russia, 29) – Iva Jovic (USA) 4:6, 6:4, 7:5
Emma Navarro (USA, 13) – Arantxa Rus (Holland) 6:1, 6:1
Donna Vekić (Croatia, 24) – Greet Minnen (Belgium) 7:5, 6:1
Victoria Azarenka (Belarus, 20) – Clara Burel (France) 6:1, 6:4
Coco Gauff (USA, 3) – Tatjana Maria (Germany) 6:4, 6:0
Elina Switolina (Ukraine, 27) – Anhelina Kalinina (Ukraine) 6:1, 6:2
Peyton Stearns (USA) – Daria Kasatkina (Russia, 12) 6:1, 7:6 (7-3)
Read also:
/empe, PAP
