Aryna Sabalenka secures milestone 80th Grand Slam victory After tough battle with Clara Tauson

Aryna Sabalenka secured a solid win against Clara Tauson, 7-6(3), 6-4, in a tough battle marked by errors. The two-time defending champion had a challenging time facing the Danish player but showcased her experience and composure to seal the victory and remain on track for the triple crown.

The world No. 1 achieved her 80th win in a Grand Slam main draw (25th in Melbourne) and is steadily advancing. Her next challenge will be against the winner of the match between Magdalena Frech (23rd seed) and Mirra Andreeva (14th seed).

It could be anticipated as a match with few long rallies between two players strong in their serving. However, both struggled with their serves at the beginning, as both fought to hold their service games. Tauson led 2-1 and was serving at 40-0, but Sabalenka showed she would not give up easily, fighting back to create a couple of break chances that allowed her to equalize at 2-2.

That was the closest either came to holding serve in the first seven games, all breaks that kept Tauson one step ahead. The match reached 5-5 with both players securing four breaks. The longest game was the 12th, where they fought for nearly 10 minutes, and Sabalenka squandered four set points on return, but Tauson finally came through to take it to a tiebreak. In a set where points grew longer, both deserved to win the set, but Sabalenka's courage to take risks in key moments ultimately earned her a narrow 7-6(4) set.

Sabalenka saved herself from disaster, and at the start of the second set, she generated three break opportunities, although she had to wait until the third game to take the lead. Both players significantly improved their first-serve effectiveness, though Tauson particularly struggled with her second serve. Gradually, the match turned into a battle with fewer aggressive shots, and Sabalenka clung to her advantage to stay ahead.

However, Tauson had one last punch left, capitalising on a break opportunity in the 8th game to level the score at 4-4. In the 9th game, both players knew it was crucial at this stage of the match, especially given the volatility they had shown with their serves. In another game that lasted over 10 minutes, Sabalenka secured the break after seven deuces and earned the chance to serve for the victory.

The World No. 1 had to fend off two break points before sealing the win, 7-6(4), 6-4, advancing to the second week of the tournament. In the fourth round, she will face the winner between Poland's 23rd seed Magdalena Frech and 14th seed Mirra Andreeva.