Sabalenka ousts Stearns in Madrid opener with timely breaks, second-serve returns

MADRID -- Aryna Sabalenka started another her Madrid title defense campaign on a strong foot.  

In a gritty 7-5, 6-3 win over Peyton Stearns, The WTA Driven by Mercedes-Benz World No. 1 advanced to the third round at the Mutua Madrid Open for the fifth time in her career, and picked up her 13th straight win this season. The three-time champion in the Spanish capital will face Jacqueline Cristian in Saturday's third round. 

Though the scoreline indicates a routine win for Sabalenka, it certainly didn't come without a test from Stearns. The American forced three break points in the opening game, though Sabalenka would ultimately get the hold in three deuces. Then, Stearns went on a tear, winning eight straight points, both holding serve and breaking Sabalenka at love for a one-break heading into the second changeover. 

"I'm just glad that I got the win," Sabalenka said. "Maybe not that beautiful, but I felt by the end of the match, I felt much better on court.

"It wasn't an easy one. I did my work before coming here, but altitude and these courts and her game, it wasn't easy."

Sabalenka, however, got the break back in a 13-point game -- she converted 4-of-12 (33%) of break points in the one hour and 35-minute match. 

Stearns' prime opportunity to open up the first set in her favor came with a break point chance, with Sabalenka down 30-40. With the ball in the vicinity of Stearns’ backhand in the corner, naturally a backhand return would’ve been safe, but Stearns took a gamble to force the return shot to her more dominant forehand, which led to an unforced error.

The forehand unforced error foreshadowed what came in the final game of the set, when Stearns had two forehand unforced errors into the center of the net. That created a double break and double set point chance, which Sabalenka timely capitalized on with a powerful forehand winner on Stearns’ second serve — Sabalenka won 58% of Stearns’ second-serve points. 

Sabalenka is now 22-0 this season when taking the first set, and the only time she's lost the first set, was against Elena Rybakina at both Indian Wells and the Australian Open.

The second set followed suit with the first, with each trading breaks to be level at 2-2, and then each holding until Stearns’ service game with Sabalenka up 4-3. Up 40-15, this time it would be Sabalenka's backhand return on the second serve kick that guaranteed Sabalenka a chance to serve for the match.

Stearns fought til the very end, creating two more break points in the final game, but Sabalenka came in the clutch by saving them both to move on in Madrid.

"Today, I came in like it's a fresh start for me, and it wasn't maybe that smooth and movement maybe wasn't that good, I'm happy I got a win, and I'll just do some extra stuff tomorrow," Sabalenka said.