Aryna Sabalenka makes winning start at the Madrid Open

Aryna Sabalenka didn't get an easy draw in Madrid as she faced very tricky Sorana Cirstea in her opening match but she managed to win it 6-4 6-3.

The Belarusian played in the final of the Stuttgart event last week losing to Swiatek but she shook that off rather well in this one. It was a tricky matchup against a good player who can play well on clay but Sabalenka proved very comfortable on the court. Madrid is the place where she won her only clay trophy and it's a place where her style of play fits well.

It was a close match as Cirstea showed a really decent level overall. Both of them were very strong on their first serve and rather shaky on their second but Sabalenka served better overall hitting 7 aces. That allowed her to save some break points as she was broken only twice despite facing 8 break points overall.

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Cirstea wasn't that lucky as she faced five break points but saved none of them. It was a really decent test for Sabalenka who managed it well and she moves on at the Madrid Open.

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24th victory of the year 😃 Former champion @SabalenkaA advances to Round 3 in Madrid after defeating Cirstea 6-4, 6-3 #MMOPEN

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