Aryna Sabalenka makes statement in Miami Open with commanding victory over Tomova

Aryna Sabalenka had a smooth Miami Open debut, defeating Viktoriya Tomova (No. 64) with a commanding 6-3, 6-0 victory. The World No. 1 bounced back after an early break and took control of the match, securing a revitalising win after her loss in the Indian Wells final.

Sabalenka quickly advanced to the Round of 32, where she’ll face Elena-Gabriela Ruse, who’s on a four-match winning streak in Miami after coming through the qualifiers and upsetting 29th seed Magdalena Frech.

Sabalenka recovers from early break to take the first set 6-3

The World No. 1 didn’t have the best start, getting broken right away as Tomova took a 1-0 lead. However, the Bulgarian couldn’t hold serve, and Sabalenka quickly broke back. The three-time Grand Slam champion took control, claiming two consecutive breaks and racing to a 5-1 lead.

When serving for the set, Tomova managed to recover one break and held her serve to stay in the contest. Still, Sabalenka made no mistake on her second opportunity, closing the set 6-3. She won 62% of her first-serve points and 60% on her second serve, wrapping up the set in just 33 minutes.

Sabalenka dominates second set

Sabalenka maintained her solid level from the start, showing she was determined to finish the match quickly. She had no issues on serve and secured an early break, tilting the momentum firmly in her favour.

At 2-0, Tomova showed slight improvement on serve, but it wasn’t enough to stay in the fight. Sabalenka capitalised on her chances, earning two consecutive breaks while dropping just three points on serve throughout the set. She take the match by 6-3, 6-0 in less than an hour.

It was a straightforward win for Sabalenka, who looked sharp just days after her Indian Wells final loss to Mirra Andreeva.

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