US Open: Aryna Sabalenka showing she is ‘the complete package’ after win over Qinwen Zheng – Mats Wilander

Aryna Sabalenka is showing she is “the complete package” at this year’s US Open, says Mats Wilander.

Referring back to Sabalenka’s struggles with her serve earlier in her career, Wilander suggested that battle was the making of her mentally.

He explained: “I think that the whole serving thing, when she had the ‘yips’, and she couldn’t put a serve in, it helped her whole person, she understood she could be down and out, and still believe in [herself], and she worked her way through that.

“With the better serve, everything is more consistent. She’s still hitting it hard, but she’s not making mistakes. And when she is, she’s understanding that she’s making mistakes, and not going too hard.

“For me, she’s the complete package at the moment.”

The first set took just 28 minutes as Zheng, 20, struggled to match the demands set by the Belarusian, who will replace Iga Swiatek at the head of the world rankings after the tournament.

While Zheng put up more resistance in the second set, Sabalenka’s serve kept her on top throughout, and there never seemed any doubt that she would secure the win.

Wilander said: “She was hard to play, the way she played, the way she moved, not too many mistakes, all over the court.

“I think for Zheng it was a little bit difficult to adjust to the momentum and the rhythm of Sabalenka, on Arthur Ashe.

“It felt like Aryna knew the way she wanted to play.”

Sabalenka will play the winner of Marketa Vondrousova and Madison Keys in the next round.

Asked by Barbara Schett whether Sabalenka was the heavy favourite for that semi-final, Alex Corretja, alongside Wilander, said: “I’m not so sure, but maybe she likes to play Keys.

“Because Vondrousova she’s got more variation in her game and she won Wimbledon, so you know you’re facing someone that can do well in the slams.

“I know Madison has played in the final here [in 2017] but I think she [Sabalenka] might like to play against her because both hit the ball so hard, and maybe she feels comfortable with that.

“She will be so relieved to be done [early]. They played a lot with the roof on, which I think also helped her a little bit with no wind.

“If you play Sabalenka and the conditions are perfect, I think you’re nearly dead.”

Sabalenka, who won the Australian Open earlier this season, has lost in the US Open semi-finals the last two years in a row.

She has a record of 22-2 at this year’s Grand Slams.