- Aryna Sabalenka (BLR/WTA 2) wins the women’s final of the Australian Open against Qinwen Zheng (CHN/WTA 15) 6:3, 6:2.
- The Belarusian defends her title from last year and celebrates her second Grand Slam triumph.
- She didn’t have to give up a single set throughout the entire tournament.
In the last game of the game in the Rod Laver Arena there was real tension in the final for the first time. Qinwen Zheng was able to fend off 4 match points from Aryna Sabalenka and earned a break chance. The Belarusian remained calm in this situation and reacted like a champion. With an ace she stayed in the game and 2 points later she crowned herself tournament winner with a forehand winner.
Sabalenka celebrated her second major title at the “Happy Slam”. The world number 2 had already triumphed in Australia last year. Last year she gave up her only set in the final, but this time she remained flawless throughout the entire tournament.
Sabalenka dominant
From the first rally, Sabalenka imposed her game on her opponent. With her powerful groundstrokes, the 25-year-old Zheng, who was in a Grand Slam final for the first time, never let herself get into the game. The Chinese had to be broken in her first serve game, which turned out to be the decision in the first round.
The favorite also started the second set with a service breakthrough. With a second break to make it 4-1, Sabalenka definitely broke the world number 15 and secured the preliminary decision. She didn’t have to give up her serve once in the entire final and confidently fended off all four break chances.
Zheng has no chance at the premiere
The Chinese woman, who was four years younger, got to the final relatively “easily” and didn’t have to defeat any players from the top 50 along the way. But then she felt the same as all of Sabalenka’s other opponents in Melbourne. She found no way to counter the Belarusian pressure from the baseline. Only US Open winner Coco Gauff was able to challenge Sabalenka in the semifinals (7:6, 6:4).
Exactly ten years after her idol Li Na became the first Chinese woman to win the Australian Open, Zheng was unable to follow in her great footsteps. Sabalenka, however, is the first defending champion since her compatriot Viktoria Asarenka in 2012 and 2013.
