Aryna Sabalenka: Two-time defending champion beats Clara Tauson as injury forces Naomi Osaka to retire
Aryna Sabalenka beats Denmark's Clara Tauson to book her place in the fourth round, where she is joined by No 3 seed Coco Gauff after victory over Leylah Fernandez; injury forces two-time former champion Naomi Osaka to retire from tournament midway through match against Belinda Bencic
Friday 17 January 2025 13:08, UK
Two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka continued her winning streak at the Australian Open by defeating Denmark's Clara Tauson in straight sets.
Sabalenka steamrollered past Tauson 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 in two hours and six minutes on Rod Laver Arena to claim her 17th win in a row in Melbourne, booking her place in the fourth round.
The 26-year-old emerged with more winners and fewer unforced errors than Tauson in a match that featured 11 service breaks, including each of the first seven games.
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The Belarusian was unable to take advantage of four set points at 5-6 in the first set but eventually prevailed in the tie-breaker.
Tauson, who has never reached the last 16 of a Grand Slam and is ranked 42nd in the world, lost her serve early in the second set, then clawed back to a 4-4 tie before Sabalenka took the final two games.
"She put me under pressure," Sabalenka said. "She played really great tennis under pressure, as well. It was a great level from her.
"If she's going to continue working, improving herself, playing the way she played today, of course, she's going to be there [at the highest level]."
Sabalenka will face teenage 14th seed Mirra Andreeva, who beat Poland's Magdalena Frech 6-2 1-6 6-2, in the next round.
Gauff sweeps aside Fernandez challenge
Semi-finalist last year Coco Gauff barely put a foot wrong as she cruised to a 6-4 6-2 win over Canada's Leylah Fernandez to reach the fourth round.
No 3 seed Gauff had taken apart 2021 US Open runner-up Fernandez in their only previous meeting at the United Cup mixed team tournament in late December - also winning in straight sets - and it was much the same on Friday in Melbourne.
Having squandered three opportunities to break in the third game of the opening set, Gauff finally pounced for a 4-3 advantage as she rattled off eight of the next nine games to also go up two breaks early in the second.
The 20-year-old American raced into a 3-0 lead over the No 30 seed Fernandez as she pulled away to win her 16th successive set since the start of 2025 and advance in style through to the last 16.
Gauff, who won the 2023 US Open, will face Tokyo Olympics gold medallist Belinda Bencic in the next round after four-time major champion Naomi Osaka was forced to retire due to injury during their third-round clash.
Osaka forced to retire with injury
Osaka appeared in discomfort late in the first set and stopped the match after dropping an opening tie-breaker 7-6 (7-3) at the John Cain Arena.
The 27-year-old faced a similar issue less than two weeks ago in Auckland where an apparent abdominal injury forced her to retire with a one-set lead over Tauson.
"At this moment, I just feel for Naomi. I saw her struggling a little bit at the end of the set," Bencic said in her on-court interview. "Obviously it's not the way you would like that match to end."
This was Osaka's first run to the third round at a major tournament since 2022. She missed time in recent seasons because of mental health breaks, then was off the tour while pregnant.
Bencic will now be a fourth-round match-up against either 2023 US Open champion Coco Gauff or 2021 US Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez, who play on Friday night.
Bencic returned to action last October after having her first baby and has not been past the fourth round in her last 11 appearances at Melbourne Park.
Meanwhile, 11th seed Paula Badosa advanced through to the fourth round after beating Marta Kostyuk 6-4 4-6 6-3.
She will face Olga Danilovic in the last 16 after the Serbian pulled off a shock 7-6 (7-3) 6-1 win over seventh-seeded American - and US Open finalist from last year - Jessica Pegula.
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