At the Brisbane International, tennis stars Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka showcased their dominance by securing straight sets victories, advancing smoothly into the next round.
Serbian superstar Djokovic of Serbia comfortably reached the second round by defeating Australian wild-card entry Rinky Hijikata 6-3, 6-3 on Tuesday. This comes a day after Djokovic kickstarted his season with a doubles triumph alongside longtime rival-turned-friend Nick Kyrgios at the ATP 250 event. In their encounter, Djokovic unleashed a powerful ace to clinch the first set, eventually breaking Hijikata's serve to seal the match.
Despite a valiant effort from home favorite Hijikata, he couldn't match the prowess of the 24-time Grand Slam champion. Looking ahead, Djokovic is set to face Gael Monfils of France in the second round, rekindling their long-standing rivalry from their previous 19 meetings.
In the women's tournament, World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka dominated the court with a straight sets win over Mexico's Renata Zarazua. Sabalenka broke Zarazua early, taking a 2-0 lead in the first set, and maintained her momentum to win 6-4. The match concluded with a commanding 6-0 second set, setting up an exciting last-16 clash against Kazakhstan's 15th seed Yulia Putintseva.
With both Djokovic and Sabalenka demonstrating top-notch performances, fans can look forward to thrilling matches as the Brisbane International progresses.
Reference(s):
Djokovic eases past Hijikata, Sabalenka beats Zarazua in Brisbane
cgtn.com
