Aus Open: Sabalenka begins title defense with straight sets win over Stephens

Melbourne, Jan 12 (IANS) Two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka began her Australian Open title defense with a straight sets 6-3, 6-2 victory over Sloane Stephens in the first round here on Sunday.

World no. 1 Sabalenka is bidding to become the first woman since Martina Hingis to pull off a three-peat in Melbourne. The Swiss star won three consecutive titles in the season's first major from 1997 to 1999.

Seeded No. 1 for the first time at a Grand Slam, Sabalenka is also looking to become the first top seed to win the Australian Open women's singles title since Ashleigh Barty sealed her home Slam in 2022, according to WTA stats.

Sabalenka, the reigning champion at the Australian Open and US Open, won on Sunday, which extended her win streak at hard-court majors to 15. Since the start of the 2023 season, she had an outstanding 28-1 win/loss record at hard-court Slams, with her only loss coming in three sets in the 2023 US Open final to young American sensation Coco Gauff.

Sabalenka raced to a 3-0 lead in just seven minutes, and though Stephens fought back to 4-3, Sabalenka broke her serve again to maintain control. Sabalenka finished the match with 20 winners and broke Stephens five times from 13 break points.

Sabalenka will face Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in the second round. In her Australian Open main-draw debut, the 22-year-old Spaniard eased past Great Britain's Sonay Kartal 6-1, 7-6.

In other matches, Paula Badosa defeated Xinyu Wang 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) to make it to the second round, where she will meet either Turkish player Zeynep Sonmez or Australian wild card Talia Gibson.

Meanwhile, Leylah Fernandez of Canada progressed to the second round with a 7-5, 6-4 win over Ukrainian player Yuliia Starodubtseva. She will next take on the winner of the match between Spaniard Cristina Bucsa and Chloe Paquet of France.

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