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Aryna Sabalenka advanced through her first-round matchup at the US Open on Monday, defeating Colombian opponent Camila Osorio with a score of 6-2, 6-4. The two-time defending champion’s victory marks the beginning of her pursuit for an unprecedented third consecutive title at the tournament, a feat last accomplished by Serena Williams between 2012 and 2014.
Sabalenka’s recent form has been inconsistent following a strong start to the season that included reaching the Australian Open final and winning both Indian Wells and Miami. Her recent early exits at the French Open and Wimbledon have allowed Elena Rybakina to close the gap significantly, trailing by just 434 ranking points. The defending champion now faces the challenge of maintaining her world number one status while defending 2,000 points at Flushing Meadows.
Despite a sluggish second set performance against Osorio, during which she served at only 48% accuracy, Sabalenka recovered to secure the victory in one hour and 28 minutes. She will face Russian qualifier Polina Iatcenko in her next contest. Meanwhile, other notable first-round victors included American Amanda Anisimova, who celebrated her 25th birthday with a dominant 6-1, 6-3 victory, and Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova, who defeated Katie Volynets 7-5, 6-1.
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Originally reported by Sports.yahoo →
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