"This is one of the goals, try to get closer to Iga Swiatek" - Aryna Sabalenka on emulating Pole with double bagel win in Australian Open 3R
Aryna Sabalenka did not shy away from expressing her ambition to reach the same level of performance as Iga Swiatek following her dominant win in the third round of the 2024 Australian Open.
Sabalenka is off to a stellar start in her title defense at the Australian Open, appearing to be in excellent form. She kicked off her campaign with a 6-0, 6-1 win over Ella Seidel in the first round. The World No. 2 continued her impressive run against Brenda Fruhvirtova, beating the Czech 6-3, 6-2.
The defending champion elevated her performance even further in her clash against Lesia Tsurenko, claiming a flawless 6-0, 6-0 victory to progress to the fourth round of the Major
During the on-court interview, Andrea Petkovic humorously asked Aryna Sabalenka whether she enjoyed "sucking the joy" out of her opponents' campaigns with her dominant victories.
"First round 6-0 6-1. Second round 6-3 6-2. Today 6-0 6-0. Is it fun for you sucking the joy out of other players games?" Petkovic asked.
In response, Sabalenka playfully cited Iga Swiatek's habit of winning sets 6-0 and stated that one of her goals for the year was to emulate the World No. 1 and "get closer" to the Pole's level of performance.
"Well last year Iga won so many sets 6-0. This is one of the goals. Try to get closer to her," she said (at 0:20).
The Belarusian's desire to follow Swiatek's example is unsurprising, given that the latter achieved a remarkable feat by dishing out 22 bagels (winning a set 6-0) in 2023. In doing so, she became the first player since Steffi Graf and Monica Seles in 1991-1992 to record 20 or more 6-0 set wins in consecutive seasons.
Aryna Sabalenka also expressed satisfaction with her performance at the Australian Open, emphasizing her eagerness to continue improving as the tournament progresses.
"I don't know actually, I'm just super happy with the level I'm playing so far and hopefully I can just keep going like that or even better. And I just really enjoy playing in front of you guys so thank you so much for the support and for watching us today," she said.
Australian Open 2024: Aryna Sabalenka to take on Amanda Anisimova in 4R; Iga Swiatek faces Linda Noskova in 3R
Aryna Sabalenka will continue her title defense against Amanda Anisimova in the fourth round. Sabalenka might face a tough challenge from Anisimova, having lost all but one of their five tour-level encounters.
Despite her poor head-to-head record against the American, the Belarusian disclosed that she was looking forward to a fierce battle for a place in the quarterfinals.
"Yeah, she's an incredible player. I'm happy to see her back in tennis. We played a lot of matches, always tough battles and I'm really looking forward for a great fight," she said (at 2:12).
Meanwhile, Iga Swiatek will aim to join Aryna Sabalenka in the fourth round of the Australian Open, squaring off against Linda Noskova in the third round on Saturday, January 20.