By Nick Mulvenney
MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Reigning champion Aryna Sabalenka reached the quarter-finals of the Australian Open in dominant fashion on Sunday when she swept past American Amanda Anisimova with a clinical 6-3 6-2 victory on Margaret Court Arena.
The top remaining seed after Saturday’s early exit for world number one Iga Swiatek, Sabalenka’s biggest enemy has often been her own emotions but she continued to keep them strictly under control to reach the last eight without dropping a set.
“I’m super happy with the level, super happy with the win,” said Sabalenka.
“I just tried to stay focused on my game, and just focus every single point. I want to stay here right until the very end and hopefully we can get this one again.”
The Belarusian was not distracted by her relegation to the second showcourt for the first time in the tournament, or by a couple of rain showers that interrupted the contest and forced the closure of the stadium’s roof.
Anisimova, ranked 442nd in the world after an eight-month break from the game, had held a 4-1 lead in career meetings with Sabalenka but found the 2024 version of the 26-year-old a much tougher nut to crack.
In the opening set, the former French Open semi-finalist was unable to win a single point off Sabalenka’s first serve, which on occasion was clocked at the 195 kph mark.
One break was enough for Sabalenka to win the opening set and another to start the second stanza killed off any hopes the American had of building pressure on her opponent.
Another break for 5-2 in the second set allowed Sabalenka to serve for the match and, although Anisimova finally managed to earn her first break point, the second seed was soon celebrating her spot in the last eight.
Sabalenka, who will next meet 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva or ninth seed Barbora Krejcikova, did not drop a set at last year’s Australian Open until the final as she landed her maiden Grand Slam title.
Her opponent on Rod Laver Arena that day, Elena Rybakina, exited in the second round and Coco Gauff and Krejcikova are the only other top 10 seeds left in the field.
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Peter Rutherford)
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