Aryna Sabalenka goes back-to-back in 11-year Australian Open first
Aryna Sabalenka has not only won back-to-back Australian Open titles but has done it in a fashion rarely seen at Melbourne Park.
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Aryna Sabalenka has gone back-to-back in utterly ruthless fashion in the 2024 Australian Open women’s final.
Chinese star Qinwen Zheng had a nation of 1.4 billion people behind her, but she was completely outplayed in a dominant 6-3 6-2 demolition from the Belarusian.
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It is just Sabalenka’s second grand slam title after winning the 2023 Australian Open title.
It was a record-breaking fortnight for the world No. 2, who not only became the first repeat champion since countrywoman Victoria Azarenka in 2012 and 2013, she also becomes just the fifth player since 2000 to have won without dropping a set.
She joins Ash Barty in 2022, Serena Williams in 2017, Maria Sharapova in 2008, Lindsay Davenport in 2000.
She also only dropped 31 games all tournament — one shy of Barty’s 2022 performance.
5 - Aryna Sabalenka is the 5th player this Century to secure the Women’s Singles title at the Australian Open without a single set dropped en route after Davenport in 2000, Sharapova in 2008, S. Williams in 2017 and Barty in 2022. Domination.#AusOpen | @WTA@WTA_insiderpic.twitter.com/ltADtnsyH2
— OptaAce (@OptaAce) January 27, 2024
Sabalenka was also the first player since Serena Williams in 2007 to win the Australian Open final without dropping a game on serve.
Sabalenka was obviously pleased with the performance, but the celebrations were rather muted after 12th seed Zheng was blown away in just 76 minutes.
Speaking on Channel 9 after the result, Sabalenka said that it was less emotional but no less of an honour.
“I think the first one is always special because I feel like it is more emotional when you win it the first time and for the second time, it is such a relief,” she explained.
“I have been under pressure these two weeks and super happy I could handle the pressure and compete on such a high level.
“Anyway, it is something special like the first one and the second one it is a special feeling.”
The fortnight was not wasted on the 21-year-old Zheng, who will move up to world No. 7 from No. 15 after her stunning performance.
She also became just the second Chinese player to make an Australian Open Final after 2014 champion Li Na.
But the night belonged to the 25-year-old from Belarus.
“Thank you to everyone for making this happen, everyone who has helped me,” Sabalenka said after receiving the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup.
“It has been an incredible few weeks and I could not imagine myself lifting the trophy one more time. It is an unbelievable feeling.”
Fans were quick to celebrate the now two-time Australian Open champion.
Tennis reporter Ben Rothenberg said: “World #2 Aryna Sabalenka rolls to her second Slam singles title, beating Zheng Qinwen 6-3, 6-2 in an hour and 14 minutes to defend her #AusOpen title.
“Sabalenka was the best player at this tournament by some distance, right from the first round.
“Hugely deserving winner.”
Aussie tennis star Daria Saville added: “YESSSSS Aryna! What a champ!”
Aryna Sabalenka wins a one-way traffic final with Zheng Qinwen 6-3, 6-2 in 1h16 to defend her #AusOpen title without dropping a set and win a second Grand Slam trophy.
— Gaspar Ribeiro Lança (@gasparlanca) January 27, 2024
She was just too solid, too powerful, too good. Close to perfection. pic.twitter.com/whqDOw7AbQ
@SabalenkaA has now won 15 Sets in a row @AustralianOpen ... 2 in previous year's final after losing the opening set and 13 this year... 1 more set and she will become a TWO TIMES GRAND SLAM CHAMPION!!! #AusOpen#AO2024
— Prakhar Singh Taunk (@prakhar021991) January 27, 2024
Terrible final but Sabalenka has been superb all tournament. By far the best player from start to finish. So strong. Not dropped a set. It does make the equal prize money debate a joke though. The men should get far more for winning. It’s only right. Also tickets are not cheap.
— John O'Leary (@JohnOleary83) January 27, 2024
8.46pm — Sabalenka racing to 11-year first
Aryna Sabalenka now has two break points as Qinwen Zheng’s serve has let her down.
With holding serve all important, Zheng has now had five double faults to zero in the second set.
Her latest important service game was a deuce when she served a double fault before the Belarusian blasted a backhand winner to complete the double break.
8.38pm — ‘Disturbance’ interrupts women’s final
A member of the Rod Laver Arena audience has been ejected after a “disturbance” in the crowd of the women’s final.
Sabalenka was leading 6-3 2-0 with Zheng aiming to serve for her first game of the second set when the umpire stopped the match until it was dealt with.
It appears the “disturbance” was a Palestinian flag.
While Russian and Belarusian flags have been banned due to players from those countries playing under neutral banners due to their nations’ roles in the Ukrainian war, Tennis Australia told news.com.au earlier in the tournament that flags of nations not represented by players at the Australian Open are prohibited.
“Anyone carrying or displaying them will be asked to put them away or leave,” organisers told news.com.au.
“Anyone seeking to disrupt the event – or who is displaying material intended to disrupt, offend, vilify or that is political in nature – will be managed in line with the AO24 ticket terms and conditions and may be asked to put away the material, or leave.”
“I have to say that the umpire and the security have got there very quickly to contain it,” Sam Smith said in commentary.
“Play is being held up for just a moment. The staff at Rod Laver Arena have moved very fast. And the umpires have been used to this over the last couple of years.”
The fans booed as well and Smith said: “Do not upset these Rod Laver tennis fans. They want to see this final.”
8.25pm — ‘Breaks herself’: Star becomes worst enemy
She just lost the first set but it got worse for Qinwen Zheng after she broke herself, serving three double faults to hand Sabalenka the early advantage in the second.
Ouch, Zheng breaks herself to start the 2nd set.
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) January 27, 2024
8.20pm — Sabalenka takes the first set
“The defending champion serving up a dominant first set,” the commentators said.
There wasn’t much else to say after that.
Sabalenka is a set from her second straight title after romping through the first 6-3.
She was close to going 6-2 after having Zheng 0-40 on her last service game before the end of the set, but the Chinese star battled back to make Sabalenka serve it out, which she did in 33 minutes.
Sabalenka takes the first set 6-3 in 33 minutes.
— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) January 27, 2024
That set never felt close, but Zheng gained traction as it went along.#AusOpen
8.02pm — Zheng blows golden chance
The Chinese star did finally settle in the third game of the match, but missed a golden chance to capitalise.
Leading 15-40, Zheng wasn’t able to get on top, allowing Sabalenka to go up 3-0.
At least in her next service game Zheng was able to hold.
But Sabalenka wasted no time going through her next service game, winning without conceding a point to go up 4-1.
“This a different level out here and Sabalenka already dominating this opening,” Sam Smith said in commentary.
7.56pm — Sabalenka’s ruthless start
Aryna Sabalenka wants to go back-to-back.
That much is clear as the defending champion claimed an immediate break, opening up a 2-0 lead early.
Zheng is going to have to settle quickly or Sabalenka will continue her rampage through the Australian Open, where she is yet to lose a set.
If the Belarusian wins in straight sets, it’ll be the fifth time in history a champion hasn’t dropped a set after Ash Barty in 2022, Serena Williams in 2017, Maria Sharapova in 2008 and Lindsay Davenport in 2000.
6.45pm — ‘Billions and billions’: Wild AO final truth
When an athlete has “the eyes of a nation” on them, the saying means a whole lot more when that athlete is from India or China.
Both nations have a population of more than 1.4 billion and it means that plenty of people will riding Zheng to win.
“Getting to know a new face on the tour, she was obviously the Newcomer of the Year (in 2022) but I think for the general public and Australia, particularly for the Asia-Pacific region to get someone like her through the tournament has been pretty massive for the tournament,” Casey Dellacqua said on Nine’s The Morning Serve.
“And I know there’s going to be billions and billions of eyes on that final tonight.”
While it could inspire Zheng to go all the way to the title, she is a rank outsider, with TAB having Zheng at $5.50 to Sabalenka’s $1.15.
On the pre-match coverage on Nine, Aussie former world No. 8 Alicia Molik said: “This is the 10-year anniversary of Li Na winning, so my concern there is China expects another winner.”
While the actual estimate is much lower than that, the AO has four broadcast partners in China and organisers hope that it can crack 20 million viewers in China.
There’s definitely interest as Zheng’s semi-final against Dayana Yastremska reportedly had roughly the same number of viewers as Li Na’s 2014 AO triumph.
Will the pressure be too much? We’ll find out in a few hours.
6.30pm — Decade-long ‘destiny’ in historic clash
Aryna Sabalenka will Saturday bid to become the first woman to defend the Australian Open title since 2013, but Zheng Qinwen has her own date with destiny.
The Belarusian world number two has yet to drop a set in Melbourne this year, sweeping all-comers aside until fourth seed Coco Gauff put up a stiffer challenge in the semi-finals.
She is aiming to match the achievement of compatriot Victoria Azarenka, who won the tournament in 2012 and 2013.
The 25-year-old feels experience in big matches will help her against an opponent who had previously never been beyond the quarter-finals of a major.
After her title success last year, Sabalenka reached the semi-finals at the French Open and Wimbledon before losing to Gauff in the final of the US Open.
“When you play a first final you kind of like get emotional and rush things sometimes,” said Sabalenka.
“When you’re like third time in the finals, you’re, like, ‘OK, it’s a final, it’s OK’.
“It’s just another match and you’re able to separate yourself from that thing. Just focus on your game. That’s it, actually.”
While 12th seed Zheng cannot compete in the experience stakes, the 21-year-old has been on a rapid rise, showing she has the temperament and game to handle pressure situations.
Ranked just 143 heading into the 2021 season, she rose to number 28 a year later and will enter the world’s top 10 for the first time next week.
Known to her fans as “Queen Wen”, she is the first Chinese finalist in Melbourne since Li Na won the title in 2014.
She has been taking inspiration and advice from Li in Melbourne and feels it is her destiny to win on the 10-year anniversary of her compatriot’s title triumph.
“She told me, ‘Don’t think too much, just go for it’,” said Zheng. “That’s enough, I think.
And she joked about her fickle relationship with destiny.
“When everything is working well, I believe in destiny. But if the destiny doesn’t go on my side, I don’t believe that at all,” she said.
All of Zheng’s opponents on her way to the final were outside the top 50.
Zheng won her first WTA title on clay in Palermo in 2023 and followed it up with a second on the Zhengzhou hard courts at the back end of last year.
She also made the last eight at the US Open — losing to Sabalenka in their only previous meeting — and won an Asian Games gold medal on home soil.
“I think her forehand is really heavy, and she’s moving well also, fighting for every point,” said Sabalenka.
“She’s played really great tennis, putting her opponents under pressure, playing aggressive tennis, and I think that’s why she will be top 10.”
— AFP
Originally published as Aryna Sabalenka goes back-to-back in 11-year Australian Open first
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