The Australian Open witnessed a series of surprising results and thrilling performances in the women's draw, with notable victories and unexpected exits. American seventh seed Jessica Pegula displayed her prowess, overcoming Belgian contender Elise Mertens 6-4, 6-2 on the iconic Margaret Court Arena. Meanwhile, Belinda Bencic secured a decisive win against Suzan Lamens, ending the match 6-1, 7-6. However, the day was not without its upsets, as Olga Danilovic stunned the tournament by eliminating 25th seed Liudmila Samsonova with a commanding 6-1, 6-2 victory.
In another highlight, two-time Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka demonstrated resilience, rebounding from a set down to defeat 20th seed Karolina Muchova 1-6, 6-1, 6-3. Meanwhile, Aryna Sabalenka, top seed and a frontrunner for the title, faced a challenging second-round match against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro. Sabalenka struggled initially, trailing 4-1 in the second set as Bouzas Maneiro delivered powerful winners. Despite the pressure on her serve, Sabalenka managed to regain control, securing a 5-2 lead after swapping breaks twice with her opponent. She eventually closed out the match 6-3, 7-5.
“She played incredible tennis today and it was a really tough one,” Sabalenka said after the match. “I mean, I expected this tennis from her, so I’m really glad that I was able to win this match.”
Sabalenka aims to achieve a historic feat, striving to become the first woman since Martina Hingis to win three consecutive titles at Melbourne Park since Hingis' victories from 1997 to 1999.
The tournament also saw its first major upset in the women's draw as Zheng Qinwen, an emerging star, was unexpectedly ousted by Laura Siegemund. Zheng praised Siegemund's performance following her loss.
“She’s an amazing player, she’s one of the best players now. But I know I can play and I wanted to make it a tough fight,” Zheng commented.
Despite having opportunities in the first set, Zheng acknowledged her lapse in concentration and Siegemund's strong play.
“I had a lot of chances to break her in the first set, but you know in that moment maybe my concentration wasn’t there,” Zheng reflected. “At the same time, I felt she was playing really good. It’s tennis, nothing more.”
Siegemund expressed her delight after the victory.
“I knew I just had to play more than my best tennis – you have nothing to lose so I told myself to swing free,” Siegemund remarked with satisfaction.
