Sabalenka to face Andreeva in round 16 after straight sets victory

World No.1 and two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka prevailed in a power-hitting showdown at the Australian Open on Friday, fending off 42 ranked Clara Tauson of Denmark 7-6(5), 6-4 in their third-round match on Rod Laver Arena.

In their first career meeting, top seed Sabalenka was down 5-3 in the opening set before battling past former Junior World No.1 Tauson in 2 hours and 6 minutes, booking her spot once again in the Round of 16 Down Under.

“She put me under pressure,” Sabalenka said. “She played really great tennis under pressure, as well. It was great level from her. If she’s going to continue working, improving herself, playing the way she played today, of course, she’s going to be there [at the top level].”

Sabalenka will face another rising player in the Round of 16. She will play No.14 seed Mirra Andreeva, who outlasted No.23 seed Magdalena Frech 6-2, 1-6, 6-2 and reached the Australian Open fourth round for the second straight year.

Sabalenka leads their head-to-head 3-1, but 17-year-old Andreeva got her win at a Grand Slam event — last year’s Roland Garros quarterfinals.

Sabalenka has now won 17 straight matches at the Australian Open, the most by any woman at this event since Victoria Azarenka won 18 straight in Melbourne between 2012 and 2014.

Sabalenka is also the first woman to make the Australian Open Round of 16 for five straight years since Simona Halep did it from 2018 through 2022.

Also on Friday, Donna Vekic and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova took very different paths into a Round-of-16 meeting. No.27 seed Pavlyuchenkova breezed past Laura Siegemund 6-1, 6-2 to reach the Melbourne fourth round for the fourth time.

In another Top 20 matchup, No.11 seed Paula Badosa of Spain edged No.17 seed Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 to make the fourth round. Badosa now has a 4-1 head-to-head lead over last year’s Australian Open quarterfinalist Kostyuk.