History repeated itself as Belarusian second seed Aryna Sabalenka pummeled France’s Clara Burel 6-1 6-1 in the third round of the US Open 2023 on Saturday, ending the unseeded player’s New York campaign in dominant fashion.
Aryna Sabalenka had swatted aside Calara Burel in the third round a year ago and once again the Australian Open winner would not be denied as she fired off 22 winners in a brisk one-hour affair at Louis Armstrong Stadium.
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The perennial major contender Aryna Sabalenka demoralised her opponent from the start, winning the first five straight games in the opening set, where she never faced a break point. Calara Burel showed some signs of life when she fended off a pair of break points in the opening game of the second set but Sabalenka quickly retook control.
A semi-finalist in New York the last two years, Aryna Sabalenka faced her only break point of the match in the sixth game of the second set but extinguished Calara Burel’s chances with a well-placed drop shot.
Calara Burel thrust her racquet to the ground in frustration after sending a forehand shot out in the final game of the second set, before Aryna Sabalenka broke her serve for the match with a backhand winner.
Aryna Sabalenka will next play the winner of a third-round match between 13th seed Daria Kasatkina and Belgian qualifier Greet Minnen.
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