Aryna Sabalenka, the world number one, passed a tough test at Wimbledon, defeating Jelena Ostapenko 6-4, 6-4 in the third round on Friday.
Sabalenka, from Belarus, was aware of the challenge posed by Ostapenko, who has two grasscourt titles and had beaten Sabalenka in their previous encounter in the Stuttgart final last year.
The match was marked by fast and furious exchanges, with Sabalenka breaking Ostapenko’s serve in the fifth game to take the lead, which she never relinquished.
Ostapenko, the 2017 Roland Garros champion, saved one match point on her serve at 4-5 down in the second set, but Sabalenka sealed the win with a 111 mph ace, advancing to the fourth round.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
