September 3, 2026 | 08:59 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Aryna Sabalenka continued her strong start to the US Open title defense with another commanding performance, sweeping past Russian qualifier Polina Iatcenko in straight sets on Wednesday.
The top-seeded Belarusian won 6-1, 6-1 at Arthur Ashe Stadium to reach the third round, extending her winning streak at the tournament to 16 matches, as reported by CNA.
Sabalenka Dominates Iatcenko
Sabalenka wasted little time taking control of the match, racing through the opening set in just 24 minutes. Her power and precision left world No. 160 Iatcenko struggling to keep pace.
Sabalenka also applied immediate pressure at the start of the second set, breaking Iatcenko in the opening game before holding serve to love.
The 28-year-old briefly lost her serve in the fourth game, but quickly recovered by breaking back to take a 4-1 lead before closing out the match in 53 minutes.
“I'm super happy to play in front of you, the night sessions here are the best,” Sabalenka told the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd after the victory.
“I'm happy with my level, happy with the focus and happy to be through this match.”
Sabalenka finished with 24 winners to Iatcenko's three, underlining the gap between the two players on the night.
Sabalenka Eyes US Open Three-Peat
The victory keeps Aryna Sabalenka on course for a third consecutive US Open title. If successful, she would become only the third woman in the professional era to win three straight titles in New York, joining Serena Williams and Chris Evert.
Sabalenka will next face Uzbekistan's Kamilla Rakhimova in the third round. It will be their fourth meeting, with Sabalenka leading their head-to-head record 3-0.
Her latest victory also reinforces her position as one of the leading contenders for the title after a difficult stretch earlier in the season.
For now, however, Sabalenka's focus remains on continuing her impressive run in New York.
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