Press releases

18 Jan 2023

Azarenka books Melbourne third-round spot

An archive photo

MINSK, 18 January (BelTA) – Two-time Australian Open winner Victoria Azarenka of Belarus (World No.24) saw off world number 191 Nadia Podoroska of Argentine, 6-1, 6-0 in less than an hour to move to the 2023 Australian Open round three. In the opener Victoria Azarenka defeated world number 203 Sofia Kenin of the United States, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3). The Belarusian will next play world number 13 Madison Keys of the United States.

Belarus’ world number 5 Aryna Sabalenka will next face world number 51 Shelby Rogers of the United States after dispatching world number 74 Tereza Martincova of the Czech Republic, 6-1, 6-4, in the opener.

Belarus’ world number 38 Aliaksandra Sasnovich lost to world number 3 Jessica Pegula of the United States, 2-6, 6-7 (5-7) in the second round. At the start the Belarusian solved world number 136 Brenda Fruhvirtova of the Czech Republic, 7-5, 6-2.

In the women’s doubles opener Aliaksandra Sasnovich and Tereza Mihalikova of Slovakia will take on Lidziya Marozava of Belarus and Xinyun Han of China.

At the start of the men’s doubles event Belarus’ Ilya Ivashka and Oscar Otte of Germany will play Tomoslav Brkic of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Gonzalo Escobar of Ecuador.

The Australian Open prize money for 2023 is $51.5 million. Winners in the men’s and women’s singles events will get $2 million each. The tournament at the Melbourne Park hard courts will be over on 29 January.