Aryna Sabalenka remains on track to secure an unprecedented third straight Australian Open title after a dominant victory over teenage sensation Mirra Andreeva in the fourth round on Sunday.
The Belarusian world No. 5 showcased her formidable power and precision, dispatching the 17-year-old Russian 6-1, 6-2 in a mere 62 minutes on Rod Laver Arena, extending her winning streak at Melbourne Park to 18 matches.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!"I'm super happy to get through this difficult match in straight sets," said Sabalenka, who will face either Croatian 18th seed Donna Vekic or 27th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova from Russia next.
"She's so young but always playing great tennis, it's always tough battles against her."
Sabalenka had faced some challenges in her previous matches, dropping serve multiple times against Clara Tauson in the third round before prevailing 7-6 (7/5), 6-4.
However, she encountered no such difficulties in the warmer conditions against Andreeva, racing through her first two service games without dropping a point and securing an early break for a 4-1 lead.
"Previous days were such tough conditions, the ball was so heavy," said Sabalenka. "The ball was flying like a rocket. I hope conditions are going to be the same till the end of the tournament."
Andreeva struggled to cope with Sabalenka's intensity and found herself pushed further back as the champion executed a delicate drop shot winner to extend her lead to 5-1. A stunning backhand pass sealed the first set for Sabalenka in just 24 minutes.
The second set began in similar fashion, with Sabalenka breaking early to establish a 3-1 advantage.
Andreeva displayed a glimpse of her potential by saving two break points in the following game and creating three of her own, but Sabalenka held firm and closed out the match convincingly.
Sabalenka is now on the verge of a remarkable three-peat at the Australian Open, a feat last achieved by Martina Hingis 26 years ago and only accomplished by four other women in tennis history: Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong, Steffi Graf, and Monica Seles.
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