Australian Open defending champion Aryna Sabalenka had no issues against qualifier Ella Seidel, beating her in under an hour to advance to the second round.
Aryna Sabalenka was always a very good fit in Australia as the court plays quickly, allowing her to do much damage with her power. Plenty of sensational hitters have traditionally done well in Australia, such as Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka.
The recent changes with the tennis balls also helped Sabalenka emerge even further as they suit the style she loves to play. Besides that, Sabalenka also matured as a player, and it all culminated with a sensational triumph at last year's Australian Open.
This year's event started well for her. The Belarusian didn't really have any issues against her opponent, besting her in two very comfortable sets. Seidel is an attacking player, and she demonstrated that well, but she's no match for Sabalenka in that department.
The match being played later at night with the ball slowing down only allowed Sabalenka more time to really unleash her power, and there was not much Seidel could really do about it.
We saw something similar in Brisbane last week, where Sabalenka also dominated opponents. She served two bagels in her first two matches in Brisbane but got a taste of her own medicine from Rybakina in the final as the Kazakhstani player beat her 6-0, 6-3.
The third bagel of the season came in the first set here, and nine winners from Sabalenka powered it. It took her only 23 minutes to win that opening set. The second set offered nothing different as Sabalenka continued to dominate her opponent.
The final score was 6-0 and 6-1, with Sabalenka finishing with 20 winners and 20 unforced errors. She only needed 55 minutes to win the match, beating her personal best when it comes to shortest matches at Grand Slams ever.
Her previous fastest win was a 59-minute victory over Tamara Zidansek at the 2021 US Open, and now she has improved that to 55 minutes. It's only the third time ever a defending champion won the first set played 6-0. It's also the quickest she's ever won a first round at a Grand Slam.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Ella Seidel Match Stats:
| Aryna Sabalenka | Ella Seidel | |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Aces | 6 |
| 2 | Double Faults | 2 |
| 58% | First Serve % | 68% |
| 32% | Points Won After First Serve % | 80% |
| 38% | Points Won After Second Serve % | 50% |
| 0/0 | Break Point Conversion | 5/9 |
| 4 | Winners | 20 |
| 17 | Unforced Errors | 20 |
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