Sawt Falasteen - Sabalenka sees off Stephens to start Australian Open hat-trick bid

The Belarusian did not have it all her own way against the 2017 US Open champion Stephens on Rod Laver Arena.

She raced into a 4-0 lead before a series of unforced errors allowed the 31-year-old American to break back twice for 4-3.

The lapses fired up Sabalenka who changed her racquet and became more aggressive.

She created a succession of break points before finally converting on the fifth to move 5-3 ahead and then served out to take the set in 38 minutes.

Stephens, now ranked 84th, has a poor record in Melbourne, losing in the first round on four of her previous five appearances.

A double break took Sabalenka to 5-1 in the second set and she completed the win in 1hr 11min.

"I love this place," said Sabalenka, who will next play Spain's Jessica Bouzas Maneiro. "Full stadium, I couldn't ask for more.

"It was a tough match, always tough matches against her. It's not like I played my best, but I was glad I was able to close it out in straight sets."

Sabalenka can become the first player since Martina Hingis in 1999 to lift the winner's Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup three years in succession.

If she does, she will join a select group of women comprising only Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong, Steffi Graf, Monica Seles and Hingis that have completed the Melbourne three-peat.

Sabalenka, who is seeded number one at a Grand Slam for the first time in her career, came to Melbourne in fine form, having won the Brisbane International last week.

She enjoyed the best season of her career in 2024, where she also won a maiden US Open, four WTA Tour titles, reached seven finals and was named WTA Player of the Year.

M.Qasim--SF-PST