Melbourne, Jan 18 : World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka began her bid for a fourth consecutive Australian Open final positively on Sunday, overcoming Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah, who gave Sabalenka a tough challenge in the first set here at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne Park.

The wild card certainly challenged herself against the highest-ranked opponent in her WTA Tour career, but the two-time Australian Open championâ??s experience ultimately led to a 6-4, 6-1 victory, starting the night session.

"I think I didn't really start at my best and was struggling to find my rhythm. But then I feel like in the last two games of the first set I found my rhythm, and I was able to step in and play a little bit better tennis,â?? Sabalenka was quoted as saying by the WTA.

Sabalenka capitalised on her momentum and the confidence gained from winning the first set. By breaking Rakotomanga Rajaonahâ??s serve to close out the first set, Sabalenka gained a key advantage and served for a 1-0 lead. She quickly extended her lead in the second set to 3-0. It was clear that Sabalenkaâ??s powerful shots overwhelmed Rakotomanga Rajaonah, who frequently hit returns into the net or out of bounds.

In the second set, Sabalenka's skill in controlling Rakotomanga Rajaonah's movement allowed her to create easy winners at the net, as she approached 22 times, or caused errors from her opponent. For comparison, Sabalenka's first serve averaged 167 km/h, while Rakotomanga Rajaonah's was 149 km/h. On the return, Sabalenka won 42% of points on her opponent's first serve and 64% on her second.

Sabalenka concluded the match by securing three of the final four games, finishing after one hour and 16 minutes.

She had two distinguished guests in attendance as she began her 2026 Australian Open campaign: 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer and legendary Rod Laver. Sabalenka understood the importance of delivering a strong performance in front of these tennis icons, especially the Australian legend, after whom the building is named. She was aware they were present, as they made it to the video screens and sat in the front row.

"I'm a huge fan. The whole match, I was telling myself, 'Don't look there, please. Do not look.' It's incredible, I never thought that Roger Federer and Rod Laver are going to be sitting in the first row of my match. That's unbelievable,â?? she told reporters after the game.

"I just wanted to impress Roger with my game. I just couldn't do tweener, but it's OK. Next time."

During her on-court post-match interview, Sabalenka, who couldnâ??t hold her excitement, made a straightforward request, saying, "I'm a huge fan, guys, can I take a picture with you please?â?? The two icons obliged to her request and clicked a selfie with her.

/IANS