Sabalenka storms into Toronto third round, eyes US Open hat-trick

TORONTO: World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka made an emphatic return to hard-court tennis with a straight-sets victory over Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima at the WTA 1000 Toronto Open, reinforcing her status as one of the favourites heading into the North American swing.

The Belarusian star defeated qualifier Uchijima 6-3, 6-3 in her opening match on Tuesday, bouncing back strongly after disappointing exits at both the French Open and Wimbledon. The convincing win marked another milestone in Sabalenka’s remarkable hard-court campaign, where she has now won 24 of her last 25 matches on the surface.

Her only defeat on hard courts this season came against Elena Rybakina in the Australian Open final, highlighting just how dominant Sabalenka has been throughout the year.

Despite the comfortable scoreline, the match was far from straightforward. Uchijima stunned the top seed early by breaking serve in the opening game after recovering from a 40-15 deficit, quickly taking a 2-0 lead. However, Sabalenka responded like a champion, winning the next five games to seize complete control and eventually close out the opening set with authority.

The second set proved equally competitive, with both players exchanging five service breaks in an entertaining battle. Sabalenka eventually established a crucial 3-2 advantage before tightening her game at the right moment. She held serve confidently to move ahead 4-2 and later sealed victory on her second match point with a powerful overhead winner.

Speaking after the match, Sabalenka expressed satisfaction with both her physical condition and mental approach following a short break from competition.

“I’m happy with the performance and the fight. I expected some challenges after the break, but I felt mentally and physically ready,” she said.

The victory keeps Sabalenka’s momentum alive as she targets another successful North American campaign, including a possible third consecutive US Open title later this month.

Awaiting her in the third round is experienced Chinese player Zhang Shuai, who advanced after Jelena Ostapenko retired while trailing 6-0, 4-0.

With confidence growing and hard-court form peaking once again, Sabalenka has sent an early warning to the rest of the field that she is ready to challenge for another major title as the road to New York gathers pace.