Aryna Sabalenka took down Bianca Andreescu in their second-round match at the 2023 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart.
The Belarusian has had her own struggles this season, but a return to Stuttgart seemed to spark a new fire in her. She reached the final last year, losing to Ashleigh Barty, and that comfort level was quite evident from the start.
She also did not have any serving issues early, as she dominated play from the baseline. It was evident that Andreescu was quite rusty against Sabalenka, a far better player than Jule Niemeier, who the Canadian overcame in the previous round.
Against the German, Andreescu looked quite solid, but in this match, it was evident she had a long way to go before she could challenge some of the best in the world. The Belarusian player outplayed her in every facet, and had she been more focused, she could have been even more dominant.
Sabalenka attacked Andreescu on her serve, and that was key to her success. The Canadian struggled to move as well as she needed to, which made her late for many balls. She also did not have the best of days serving as Sabalenka got many looks.
The complete opposite happened in the second set as Andreescu jumped out to a 4-0 lead, which she later managed to capitalize on despite some struggles
Sabalenka pulled one break back, but the Canadian still won it 6-3. It was just a bad set by the Belarusian player, who lost focus early and could not muster up a comeback.
The third set was the best set Sabalenka played in a long time. She served well, and she dominated rallies with ease. It was like she went on another level, and Andreescu had no chance. The Belarusian eventually won the match 6-1, 3-6, 6-2, and moved to the next round.