As far as second-round matches go, they don’t get much harder than facing a former Wimbledon champion, something Aryna Sabalenka discovered firsthand Saturday night as she opened her title defense at the Cincinnati Open against Marketa Vondrousova.
The World No. 1 rose to the occasion, defeating Vondrousova 7-5, 6-1 to advance to the third round. There she’ll face another former Grand Slam champion after Emma Raducanu won her second-round match against Olga Danilovic 6-3, 6-2 earlier in the day.
Cincinnati: Draws | Scores | Order of Play
Sabalenka wins the battle of Grand Slam champions
Vondrousova gave Sabalenka everything she could handle in the first set, with Sabalenka facing six break points compared to just one for the Czech.
That lone break point came on set point, and Sabalenka made it count, stealing the first set after Vondrousova failed to convert any of her own chances.
“It’s always a tough match against her,” Sabalenka said after the match. “(Vondrousova) always pushes me to the limit. You have to stay focused, and you have to fight for every point against her.”
The second set followed a similar pattern.
Vondrousova forced six more break points while Sabalenka created just two, but Sabalenka saved them all and converted both her opportunities en route to a fifth career win in eight matches against Vondrousova.
Raducanu defeats Danilovic in pair’s first meeting
Until this week, Raducanu had not been seeded at a WTA 1000 event since the Cincinnati Open in 2022.
That year, she defeated Victoria Azarenka 6-0, 6-2 in the second round. While her second-round performance wasn’t quite as dominant this time, she still beat Danilovic convincingly, dropping just five games.
It was the first meeting between Raducanu and Danilovic at the Hologic WTA Tour level, giving the British No. 1 early bragging rights in their head-to-head.
Raducanu has not lost her opening match at a tournament since Indian Wells in March.
Sabalenka looks to go three-for-three against Raducanu
After beating Vondrousova, Sabalenka now looks ahead to her next match against an in-form Raducanu.
The two last played earlier this year at Wimbledon in the Round of 32, a match Sabalenka won 7-6(6), 6-4.
When they face off Monday, it’ll be the third match between them, and Raducanu will not only be seeking her first win, but she’ll also be looking to win a set against the World No. 1 for the first time.