Australian Open: Aryna Sabalenka overpowers Shelby Rogers to reach third round in stylish straight sets win

Aryna Sabalenka is into the third round of the Australian Open after a convincing 6-3 6-1 win over Shelby Rogers.

Sabalenka got off to a shaky start, going down a break in the third game, but she bounced back in style, hitting 32 winners in total, to seal her place in the third round for the fourth time in her career.

The world No. 5 will play world No. 26 Elise Mertens next on Saturday after the Belgian beat USA’s Lauren Davis 6-4 6-3.

“She’s [Rogers] such a great player,” Sabalenka said after the match in her on-court interview.

“She always plays really fast and she put me under pressure. In these kind of matches I expected her to play at a great level.

“That’s why I had to stay focused from the beginning to the end and that is perhaps why I was able to win this one in two sets. It’s always a tough match against her.”

Sabalenka saved all three break points in each of her last three matches, but she could not prevent Rogers from breaking in the third game of a tight opening to the first set.

After rescuing two break points herself in the previous game, Rogers converted her third break point with a thumping return of serve.

An unforced error from Rogers brought the pair back on serve at 3-3 and Sabalenka began to play more freely. After a love hold of serve, she broke down a resilient Rogers defence to get a break advantage before closing it out by reeling off four points in a row.

Sabalenka continued to dominate from the baseline in the second set and she ripped a vicious backhand winner off Rogers’ second serv to clinch a break point and move into a 2-1 lead.

Momentum was firmly with Sabalenka and a double fault from Rogers meant Sabalenka sealed a double break.

Sabalenka won the match on Rogers’ serve with yet another backhand winner.

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