Aryna Sabalenka Battles Past Clara Tauson to Keep Melbourne Park Title Hopes Alive

Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the fourth round of the Australian Open with a hard-fought 7-6(5), 6-4 win over Clara Tauson, extending her Melbourne Park winning streak to 17 matches.

Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka survived a tough challenge from Denmark's Clara Tauson to reach the second week of the Australian Open. The 26-year-old world number one battled hard to secure a 7-6(5), 6-4 victory on Rod Laver Arena, keeping her bid for a third consecutive Melbourne Park title alive.

The match was a rollercoaster ride that lasted over two hours, with Sabalenka ultimately emerging victorious. “That was a great battle,” she said. “She played unbelievable tennis. It was really tough to play against her today.” Sabalenka praised Tauson's performance, acknowledging the difficulty she faced in securing the win.

Sabalenka's serving woes continued, as she was broken to 15 in the opening game by world number 42 Tauson. Neither player was able to hold their serve consistently, and it wasn't until the eighth game that Tauson finally secured the first service hold of the match to move 5-3 ahead. This sparked Sabalenka into action, as she finally held her own delivery to love and then broke back again.

Despite struggling with her serve, Sabalenka was relieved to have secured the win. “I'm just super happy that I was able to just stay in the game and I was able to push myself, honestly, to the limit to get this win,” she said. Sabalenka's determination and resilience paid off, as she advanced to the next round of the tournament.

Aryna Sabalenka acknowledged the challenges of serving in the Australian Open conditions. “I would say that conditions here are really tough to serve,” she said. Despite struggling with her serve, Sabalenka was relieved to have secured the win, highlighting the importance of recovering from breaks. “Looking back, it was really important to get all of those breaks back. It could go either way so I'm just super happy that I was able to close this match.”

Sabalenka squandered four set points at 6-5 on the Tauson serve, which led to a tiebreak. However, on her fifth set point, she made no mistake, securing the set with a rasping forehand winner. The second set followed a similar pattern, with Sabalenka finally consolidating a break for a 4-2 lead, only for Tauson to level once more.

The match was intense, with both players exchanging sizzling winners at 4-4 in the second set. After a lengthy game featuring seven deuces, Sabalenka secured the break. Serving for the match, Sabalenka had to save two more break points from the plucky Tauson before clinching the tie in 2 hours and 6 minutes.

Power and precision prevail 🙌

Aryna Sabalenka marches into fourth round with a commanding 7-6(5) 6-4 victory over Clara Tauson.#AusOpen · #AO2025 pic.twitter.com/elYhJS3iCj

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 17, 2025

Both Sabalenka and Tauson were seeking to extend their unbeaten streaks in 2025 to eight matches. Sabalenka had won the Brisbane International warm-up, while Tauson took out the title in Auckland. Ultimately, it was Sabalenka who emerged victorious, securing her 17th consecutive victory in Melbourne. Her next opponent will be Russian teenage star Mirra Andreeva.

Sabalenka is now one step closer to achieving a rare hat-trick of consecutive Australian Open wins, a feat last achieved 26 years ago by Martina Hingis and only matched by four other women in history.