Aryna Sabalenka eases into Australian Open third round

Melbourne: World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka eased into the third round of the Australian Open after beating Chinese qualifier Bai Zhuoxuan 6-3, 6-1 in 32 minutes on Wednesday.

It was a first meeting between Sabalenka and former World No. 83 Bai, who went through the wringer last year with injuries and arrived in Melbourne ranked world No. 702.

Wednesday’s win marked Sabalenka’s 25th singles match win as World No. 1 and made her the sixth player since 2000 to achieve the feat, following Serena Williams, Lindsay Davenport, Justine Henin, Ash Barty and Iga Swiatek.

Meanwhile, Elina Svitolina continued her hot start to the 2026 season with a second-round 7-5, 6-1 win over Linda Klimovicova.

She'll face another new opponent, Diana Shnaider, in the third round, and it is the first guaranteed seeded match of the tournament.

Shnaider saved two match points against Australian wildcard Talia Gibson in a comeback win, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3.

 Coco Gauff, however, smoothly advanced to the third round of the women’s singles at the 2026 Australian Open, demonstrating an assertive performance on Wednesday at Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne Park.

The world No. 3 secured her 251st WTA win, just two days after achieving her 250th career victory in the Grand Slam’s opening round.

The two-time Grand Slam champion defeated Olga Danilovic in straight sets, securing the win with scores of 6-2, 6-2 in 1 hour and 17 minutes. Gauff delivered a commanding performance at Margaret Court Arena, quickly asserting her dominance by winning five straight games in the first set.

Pulling Danilovic from side to side, the 21-year-old created space on the court with powerful shots, breaking serve to win the set 6-2 despite a late rally from her opponent. The second set repeated this pattern, with the third seed capitalising on unforced errors to lead 3-0.

Danilovic tried her best to re-engage in the match, but Gauff’s quick return and anticipation gave her a vital advantage to secure the win.

The third round will feature an all-American matchup, with Gauff set to face Hailey Baptiste in what will be their second career meeting and first since 2023.

Seventeenth seed Victoria Mboko is through to the third round of her maiden Australian Open after a straight-sets win over American Caty McNally in Melbourne on Wednesday. The result equals her best performance at a Grand Slam, matching her third-round appearance at Roland-Garros last year.

When third-round matches kick off on Friday, the talented right-hander will step onto court for a first-time meeting with Clara Tauson, the 14th seed who overcame Polina Kudermetova 6-3 3-6 7-5.(Agencies)

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