Seeded 2nd in women’s singles, Aryna Sabalenka began her campaign in New York with a 6-3, 6-3 dispatch of qualifier Priscilla Hon. The Belarusian whose best performance in the US Open has been a finalist in both 2021 and 2022 demonstrated her desire on the Louis Armstrong court.
Sabalenka was not at her top performance and had to battle for every point that got her through against Arantxa Rus and 27; while celebrating this for leading her to the second round, Sabalenka is now set to go up against Lucia Bronzetti of Italy.
Sabalenka said that Hon has been attacking her, and admitted that the match wasn’t smooth sailing, especially when Hon elevated her performance in the second set. Sabalenka, nevertheless, had the answer with a robust forehand and the backing of a New York audience that saw her through to a win.
Regarding her performance, Sabalenka said, ‘This season I took a few tournaments with injuries, that is why I took a few months off I hope next season will be better’. She finally sealed the match with two powerful forehand winners with a hint of achieving her potent initial success at the starting New Year event.