Belarusian tennis player Aryna Sabalenka, the second seed, achieved a victory over Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska on Sunday at the Italian Open, securing her place in the last 16 of the tournament. Sabalenka triumphed with a score of 6-4, 6-2, breaking a three-match losing streak against Yastremska and marking her first win over the Ukrainian in four career meetings, the most recent of which occurred in 2020.
Sabalenka’s exceptional performance follows her recent journey to the final in Madrid, where she suffered a defeat against world No 1 Iga Swiatek. Her display of skill on clay courts is evident with seven wins in her last 8 matches. Additionally, her victory over Yastremska marked her 90th career win at a WTA 1000 event, placing her on par with Swiatek for the most wins in this category since 2018.
As she advances to the next round of the tournament, Sabalenka is poised to face either Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, the No 16 seed, or Russian Anna Kalinskaya, the No 23 seed. Before her triumph against Yastremska, Sabalenka competed against American qualifier Katie Volynets, securing victory with a score of 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Meanwhile, Yastremska, the No 32 seed, had secured a win against German qualifier Laura Siegemund in the previous round of the Rome tournament. The event also featured several other matches in the round of 32, including victories for Irina-Camelia Begu, Maria Sakkari, Coco Gauff, Sorana Cirstea, Madison Keys, Qinwen Zheng, Naomi Osaka, Angelique Kerber, Paula Badosa, and Iga Swiatek.
As the WTA Rome 1000 event continues, anticipation builds for upcoming matches including Elina Svitolina vs. Anna Kalinskaya, Danielle Collins vs. Caroline Garcia, Victoria Azarenka vs. Mayar Sherif, Sara Sorribes Tormo vs. Jelena Ostapenko, and Sofia Kenin vs. Rebecca Sramkova.
Sabalenka’s impressive victory in Rome showcases her skill and determination, positioning her as a formidable force in the world of tennis. With her sights set on further success in the tournament, the tennis world eagerly anticipates her next moves on the court.