Andrey Rublev beat wild-card entry Dominic Thiem 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 on Tuesday to book his place in the second round of the Australian Open. (More Tennis News)
Thiem, a runner-up at the Austral🔯ian Open in 2020 and the U.S. Open winner the same year, missed much of 2021 due to injuries but has recovered from outside the top 350 last year to a place jus🦩t inside the top 100. He was given a wild-card entry by tournament organizers.
“When you see you have to play against Dominic you know it💮’s not going to be easy. I know he’s going through some not easy times so I wish him all the best to come back to the level he can be as fast as possible,” Rublev said.
Rublev will now play either 🌳the Australian qualifiไer Max Purcell or Emil Ruusuvuori of Finland.
No. 5 Aryna Sabalenka maintained her unbeaten start to the year with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Tereza Martincova. Sabalenওka, who won the Adelaide 🔴International title in the first week of the year, hit 29 winners to her opponent’s seven as she won her fifth consecutive match.
“It wasn’t that easy, I’m super-happy to start with the win,” said Sabalenka, who will play American Shelby Rogers in the second round. “I have to work 🎃on my mindset and stay calm and not get too upset when I make mistakes. I really believe this is the only thing missing in my game.”
Sabalenka, who has yet to win a Grand Slam singles title, hasn’t made it past the fourth round at the Australian Open ꦉin five previous visits.
Ga𒆙rbine Muguruza, the runner-up in Melbourne in 2020, lost her fifth consecutive ꧙match to start the year when she was beaten 3-6, 6-7 (3), 6-1 by Elise Mertens.
Two-time Grand Slam cha🍌mpion Muguru🦋za served for the match at 6-5 in the second set.
Taylor Townsend won her first Grand Slam match since becoming a mother, beating Diane Parry, a wild-card entry from ꦏFrance, 6-1, 6-1. The American will next meet Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Leylah Fernandez, the former U.S. Open runner-up, beat Alize Cornet 7-5, 6-2. Martina Trevisan, seeded 21st, was b𝓀eaten 6-3, 6-2 by qualifier🍌 Anna Karolina Schmiedlova.
