After defeating Zheng Qinwen, Aryna Sabalenka successfully defended her Australian Open championship. After Victoria Azarenka, a fellow Belarusian player who won in 2012 and 2013, was the last player to win the Australian Cup in back-to-back years.
Highlight of the Australian Open Final
In the Australian Open 2024, Aryna Sabalenka is setting a new record. Sabalenka became the first woman to defend this championship since fellow Belarusian Victoria Azarenka 11 years ago on Saturday when she easily defeated Qinwen Zheng of China in just 76 minutes.
With the 6-3, 6-2 win, Sabalenka maintained her flawless record through the tournament, having played for just slightly more over eight hours. For background, Daniil Medvedev, the men’s finalist, has already completed 20 hours of competition, and there is still one match remaining.
Sabalenka served flawlessly, with 67% of her first serves landing and not a single double-fault—an incredible accomplishment for someone who suffered from the yips just 18 months prior. Serving to love in the opening game and then breaking Zheng, who was playing in her maiden major final, Sabalenka was off to the greatest possible start.
Sabalenka performance is better than Last Year
Working with a psychologist and restructuring her serve to prevent the double faults that had dogged her were major contributors to Sabalenka’s victory in Melbourne last year. She became the most reliable women’s player at the Grand Slams and had her first spell as the world number one as a result of her growth over the remaining 2023 season.
After winning the opening set, Sabalenka lost to American teenager Coco Gauff in the US Open final, but she went on to make it at least to the semi-finals at the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open.
She was much more confident when she got back to Melbourne because she had already achieved success. After advancing to the semi-finals and taking out Gauff in straight sets, Sabalenka lost just 16 games to earn her spot in the finals before focusing on Zheng.
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Her aggressive strategy worked well when carried out to almost faultless quality.In the next game, Sabalenka secured three break opportunities by smashing a backhand that stunned Zheng. She persisted in pressuring her opponent into making mistakes as she advanced towards an easy win. In an otherwise flawless performance, Sabalenka’s rare moment of doubt occurred when she needed to hold onto a rare break point in order to secure her victory and earn her fifth championship point. She won the forehand crosscourt match with ease.
Zheng Qinwen disappointed performance unable to deliver the victory to her country
Sabalenka was attempting to equal her countrymate Azarenka’s feet, but she was also aiming to mimic Zheng’s momentous historical moment. Ten years ago, the country was ecstatic when rising Chinese star Li Na won the 2014 Australian Open, including 11-year-old Zheng and her childhood pals who watched on TV.
If Zheng had celebrated the significant milestone with a personal victory, it would have ignited jubilant festivities both in Melbourne and her native country. The bulk of the 15,000 spectators, who were cheering for a player known as “Queen Wen” and waving Five-Star Red Flags and homemade banners, supported Zheng in this heavily Chinese-populated city. She could not, however, bring them the triumph they so desperately wanted.
In addition to seeming nervous, Zheng was unable to keep up with Sabalenka’s rapid groundstrokes because the world number two was simply too good for him. Zheng, who will make his first appearance in the world’s top 10 when the rankings are released on Monday, said, “It’s my first final and I’m feeling a little bit [of] pity but it was a good experience at the same time.”
“I feel complicated because I could have done better but I didn’t in this match.”