January 21, (THEWILL) – World number two Aryna Sabalenka is one step closer to defending her Australian Open title after dispatching unseeded American Amanda Anisimova in straight sets on Sunday.
The dominant Belarusian cruised to a 6-3 6-2 victory in just 70 minutes at Margaret Court Arena, barely breaking a sweat throughout the contest. She has now surrendered only 11 games in her four matches so far, underlining her status as tournament favourite following top seed Iga Swiatek’s early exit.
Sabalenka was in complete control against Anisimova, who had fallen to 442nd in the rankings after taking an eight-month break in 2022 for burnout and mental health reasons. A brief rain delay early in the first set forced the roof to close but barely disrupted the second seed’s rhythm. She broke the American’s serve in the second and eighth games to clinch the opener 6-3 inside 36 minutes.
It was a carbon copy display in the second set from the rampant title holder. Capitalising on errors from across the net, Sabalenka secured an early break of Anisimova’s serve to seize control. A second break left her serving for the match at 5-2, which she did with minimum fuss to wrap up a 70-minute victory.
The win caps off an outstanding 2023 for the 25-year-old, who alongside her maiden Grand Slam title in Melbourne in 2023 also made the semi-finals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. She eventually finished runner-up to world number four Coco Gauff at September’s US Open.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
