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Azarenka breezes into Australian Open third round

An archive photo

MINSK, 19 January (BelTA) – Belarus’ world number 25 Victoria Azarenka picked up a swift victory over world number 34 Jil Belen Teichmann of Switzerland, 6-1, 6-2, to progress into the Australian Open round three, BelTA has learned.

The Belarusian will next play Ukraine’s world number 17 Elina Svitolina. The former world number one kicked off her campaign in Melbourne with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Hungary's world number 98 Panna Udvardy. Victoria Azarenka won the Australian Open in 2012 and 2013.

World number two Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus saw off Australia’s world number 128 Storm Sanders, 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, in the opening round. Aryna Sabalenka will next face China’s world number 100 Wang Xinyu.

Belarus’ world number 77 Aliaksandra Sasnovich lost to China’s world number 111 Qinwen Zheng, 3-6, 6-1, 6-7 (5-10).

In the men’s opener Belarus’ world number 106 Egor Gerasimov lost to Poland’s world number 10 Hubert Hurkacz, 2-6, 6-7 (3-7), 7-6 (7-5), 3-6.

The first tournament of the Grand Slam season will be over on 30 January. The event’s prize money totals $53.9 million. Last year the Australian Open men’s event was won by Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, the women’s event by Naomi Osaka of Japan.

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