Aryna Sabalenka rolls to 2nd straight Australian Open title

MELBOURNE, Australia – World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka put in a near-perfect performance to win her second consecutive Australian Open crown, defeating China’s Zheng Qin Wen 6-3, 6-2 in the women’s final on Saturday.

Dominant from the start, the defending champion powered her way through Zheng’s service games on three occasions, sealing victory in 1 hour and 16 minutes to become the first woman to make it back-to-back games in Melbourne since her fellow Belarusian . Victoria Azarenka in 2012 and 2013.

Sabalenka’s second Grand Slam title caps a dominant fortnight, after she won 14 of 14 sets in perfect fashion and lost just 31 games throughout that run.

Zheng, seeded 12th in Australia, was playing in her first Grand Slam final and seemed to feel the pressure of her first service game. Sabalenka broke for a 2-0 lead and, despite looking like she was going to break back, she recovered to save three break chances and maintain a quick 3-0 lead.

For the rest of the first set, Sabalenka was relentless in her service games, winning all but one on her first serves and giving Zheng no further break opportunities.

The second set started more or less the same; Sabalenka broke serve in the first game thanks to three double faults from Zheng. That gave Sabalenka the lead in the second set, which he quickly capitalized on to put the contest almost out of reach.

A protest briefly delayed the match as Zheng began to find rhythm on serve, but like the first set, it was too late.

Sabalenka broke again in the fifth game and soon after served for the match: in her five games she conceded the fewest in an Australian Open final since Azarenka gave up three in 2012.

Sabalenka said she was delighted with her level of play both in the final and during the fortnight in Melbourne and relieved to have been able to show that her only Grand Slam title was no fluke.

“[Zheng is] A great player and a very tough opponent. “I’m very happy that I was able to get this win today,” he said in his post-match press conference. “I wanted to show that I can be there consistently and that I can win again. [Grand Slam]. I really hope that [I can win] More than two at this point, but for me it was really important.

“I’ve always thought that I didn’t want to be that player who wins. [one] and then it disappears.”

He said the experience of playing more big matches, including last year’s US Open final loss to Coco Gauff — had left her “emotionally prepared” for a quick start to which she never gave up.

“Compared to last year, I’m completely different,” Sabalenka said. “I’m more controlled and… I don’t let the rest of the things come to my mind, and I was focusing on myself.”

She has enhanced her reputation as one of the best hard court players in the world; Of the 14 titles she has won, 12 have been on hard courts, including her two Grand Slams in Melbourne.

Despite her success on hard surfaces, Sabalenka said she continues to work on becoming an all-court player so she can routinely compete for majors at Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

“I think last year I showed that I can play on all surfaces,” he said. “I definitely think that if I’m going to keep working like I’m doing now, and if we’re going to keep building what we’re building now, I’ll definitely be able to do the same thing on clay and on grass.”

Meanwhile, Zheng said her “slow” start left her playing from behind early on, explaining that missing a break against Sabalenka made getting back into the match very difficult.

“I think the difference is the beginning. [couldn’t] Keep the service game going,” Zheng said. “Then later when I had a chance to break his 40-love and couldn’t do it. That little moment makes the game so different. If you do not take advantage of this opportunity, the party [gets] far very fast. She’s a really aggressive player. If you miss an opportunity, it will happen like today.”

Zheng said she wasn’t too nervous heading into her first Grand Slam final, but admitted she needs to work on a few things, including her mental toughness in the big moments.

“I have to work more on my tennis, also work more on my mental side, work more on myself to be able to overcome this moment,” she said. “Because if you lose, there must be a reason behind why you lose, and we have to try to find out why and then come back stronger and better the next time.”

With the victory, Sabalenka retains her spot at No. 2 in the world, hot on the heels of No. 1 in the world. Iga Swiatekwhile Zheng rises to No. 7, the highest of his career.