MADRID (AP) — Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka faced tough resistance in her opening match at the Madrid Open before beating Magda Linette 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 on Friday.
The second-ranked Sabalenka struggled with her serve at times, but the two-time Australian Open winner struck her 10th ace on match point at the Caja Magica in Spain’s capital.
Sabalenka got some help from the net to get a key break and go up 5-3 in the third set when Linette was unable to reach a shot by the Belarusian that clipped the top of the tape.
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek won her opening match on Thursday. Sabalenka beat Swiatek in last year’s final in Madrid and also won here in 2021.
Fourth-seeded Elena Rybakina beat Lucia Bronzetti 6-4, 6-3, while American Ashlyn Krueger downed Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-3, 6-3.
Mirra Andreeva, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Carolina Garcia, and Jasmine Paolini also advanced.
The Eurovision Song Contest is kicking off with pop and protests as the war in Gaza casts a shadow
Awkward moment pregnant mother is left in tears after discovering she's having a third son
Core blimey: French apple rose tart
Rihanna shows off her wild side in a low
Wisconsin wedding barns sue over state's new liquor law requiring licensing
Masterful meals: Masterchef 2014 Champion Ping Coombes's nasi goreng with sambal belacan
Signs of sharp wit! These funny notices left customers in fits of laughter
WWII bomb found in garden in UK city taken out to sea
Penske suspends Cindric, 3 others ahead of the Indianapolis 500
'Commonsense' win as fish exports to US given all
Boy Scouts of America changes name after 114 years to 'boost inclusion'
Prince William's supporters reveal what he's really like behind the scenes