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Sabalenka advances to Australian Open last 16

MINSK, 12 February (BelTA) – Belarus’ world number 7 Aryna Sabalenka eased to the round of Last 16 at the Australian Open in Melbourne with a 6-3, 6-1 win over world number 69 Ann Li of the United States, BelTA has learned.

The Belarusian secured a confident win, 6-0, 6-4 over Slokavia’s world number 100 Viktoria Kuzmova in the opener, and saw off Russia’s world number 75 Darya Kasatkina 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 in the second round. Aryna Sabalenka will next play seven-time winner of the Australian Open, world number 11 Serena Williams of the United States.

In the women’s doubles opener Aryna Sabalenka and Belgium’s Elise Mertens defeated the Belgium-Sweden duet of Alison Van Uytvanck and Cornelia Lister 3-6, 7-5, 6-4. In the round of Last 32 the Belarusian-Belgian tandem were to play the U.S. duo of Ashleigh Barty and Jennifer Brady but the pair pulled out from the tournament.

The 2021 Australian Open money prize is $55.2 million. The men’s and women’s singles winners will earn $2.1 million each. The 2021 Australian Open will finish on 21 February. The winners of the last year’s edition were Sofia Kenin of the United States and Novak Djokovic of Serbia.

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