MINSK, 3 January (BelTA) – Belarus’ world number 23 Victoria Azarenka defeated world number 80 Anna Kalinskaya of Russia, 6-1, 7-6 (10-8), to advance to the round of 16 at the Brisbane International, BelTA has learned.
World number 2 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus needed just 58 minutes to pocket her first win of the season, defeating Italy's world number 52 Lucia Bronzetti, 6-3, 6-0, in the second round of the Brisbane International.
Aryna Sabalenka won the tournament a year ago, and Victoria Azarenka was its winner in 2016.
The ongoing tournament in Brisbane will end on 7 January, and the world’s leading tennis players will continue preparations for the first Grand Slam tournament of the new season - the Australian Open. It will be held on the courts of Melbourne Park from 14 to 28 January.