MIAMI GARDENS, Florida — World number two Aryna Sabalenka overcame a personal tragedy to secure the victory against close friend Paula Badosa of Spain 6-4 6-3in an emotional Miami Open opener.
On another court, Coco Gauff, the world No. 3, showcased her prowess with a commanding performance against Nadia Podoroska. Gauff’s relentless aggression and precision propelled her to a convincing 6-1, 6-2 victory.
After six hours of rain delays, Sabalenka walked onto the court wearing an all-black outfit, a choice matched by her close friend Badosa.
Two-times Australian Open winner Sabalenka said she was “heartbroken” by the death of former boyfriend Konstantin Koltsov in a statement Wednesday, where she revealed they had not been a couple at the time of his death.
Koltsov died on Monday with Miami police saying he had jumped from the balcony of a room at an resort in an “apparent suicide.”
The former NHL ice hockey player and coach, was 42-years-old.
Sabalenka made a slow start to the match but broke to go 4-3 up in the first set and never looked back from that point on.
The Belarusian then broke in the third game of the second set with a superb cross court forehand winner and showed too much power for her Spanish opponent as she wrapped up the win in one hour 22 minutes.
The two players embraced at the net before leaving the court without an on-court interview. Sabalenka has asked the WTA to be excused media duties at the tournament.
Badosa said she was not surprised by the way Sabalenka was able to maintain her focus and deliver a solid performance.
“She is a very, very strong woman, strong personality. You can see it on the court…I know her off court so it doesn’t surprise me at all,” she said.
“I knew she was going to play very well or like normal. I told her I wish her the best and let’s see if she can go deep in this tournament,” added the Spaniard.
Badosa had said before the match that she expected it to be “uncomfortable” playing against Sabalenka given her friendship with the Belarusian.
But she said their professionalism and mental strength had shown itself.
“Honestly, both of us are pretty strong mentally. We’re strong women and she proved it and I proved it,” she said.
“We knew how to disconnect in that two hours for the match. She played really well and I played really well given from where I am coming from (with injuries),” she added.
“All that comes from knowing that we’ve been through a lot in our lives and we’re strong women. We knew how to separate (things) in that moment,” she said.
American Coco Gauff, the third seed, had little trouble in her test against Argentine Nadia Podoroska winning 6-1 6-2 in one hour 16.
After just 33 minutes of play, Gauff quickly gained the early advantage in the match, leading one set to none. After swatting away two Gauff set points, the Argentine mounted some resistance in the seventh game and won her first break point.
To Podorska’s credit, she miraculously managed to squander four Gauff match points in her eighth and final game, making it anything but a formality. But in the end, she gave way to the inevitable, as Gauff won the fifth game to wrap up a mostly commanding victory.
Gauff’s clinical display on the court reflects her growing maturity and confidence, as she now looks ahead to a third-round clash against Oceane Dodin.
Despite the challenges posed by adverse weather conditions and formidable opponents, both Sabalenka and Gauff demonstrated their mettle and determination, setting the stage for thrilling encounters in the subsequent rounds of the Miami Open.
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