Three-time major champion Aryna Sabalenka has reached at least the quarterfinals at the last 11 Grand Slams main draws she has played, so a first-round tussle with 109-ranked Swiss Rebeka Masarova didn’t look like much of a scare on paper.
But it takes more than a reputation to win a match on the hard courts at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Sabalenka quickly found out she’d be in for a battle when Masarova, a former World No. 62, scored the first break of the contest in the fifth game. But the defending champion righted the ship quickly and marched to a 7-5, 6-1 victory to book a spot in round two.
“Happy to get this win and happy to be in the second round,” Sabalenka said. “I feel like I didn’t start my best in the first games, but then I found my rhythm.”
In a surprisingly tense opening set in Arthur Ashe Stadium, Sabalenka finally claimed the upper hand with the 26-year-old Swiss serving to stay alive in the set at 5-6, 30-40. In truth, Masarova should have won the point, but made one poor decision, directing a smash right where Sabalenka was standing, and paid dearly for it.
She eventually lost the point to close the entertaining opening set in 51 minutes.
With some wind in her sails from that late rally, Sabalenka shifted into a higher gear in the second set. She broke for 2-0 and never looked back. She raced out to a 5-0 lead in an additional 27 minutes, and sealed the match two games later, closing out her 51st win of the season in one hour and 21 minutes.
WHAT IT MEANS: Sabalenka stretches her US Open winning streak to eight and continues to display dominance on her favorite surface. The 27-year-old has now won 34 of her last 36 matches at the hard court majors, and reached at least the final of the last five majors played on the cement.
She will face Polina Kudermetova in the second round.
MATCH POINT: Sabalenka is bidding to become the first player to successfully defend the US Open women’s singles title since Serena Williams in 2014.
“I love to be the defending champion,” Sabalenka said. “For me, it’s motivation and I want to do well. I want to do the same that I did last year. I want to feel those emotions, and I really worked hard for that — I hope that I’ll be able to reach my goal here.”
The top seed improves to 29-6 lifetime at Flushing Meadows, and 95-26 at the majors overall.
