Sabalenka rolls through, Andreescu fizzles out in second round of Australian Open

The third day of the 2021 Australian Open kicked off with mixed results for the top seeds, as seventh-seeded Aryna Sabalenka pulled off a spectacular comeback to advance to the third round. The results were different for eighth seed Bianca Andreescu, who was upset by doubles specialist Su-Wei Hsieh on Wednesday morning.

Sabalenka faced off against Daria Kasatkina, who is always a threat when she plays her best tennis. This was evident as the Russian obtained the first break to lead 3-1, before some aggressive play from Sabalenka leveled the score at 4-4.

After another exchange of breaks that saw Kasatkina serve for the set at 6-5, a tiebreak followed with Sabalenka prevailing 7-6(5). The second set saw another exchange of breaks, before the Belarusian gained control, winning the final three games to escape with a 7-6(5) 6-3 victory in an hour and 29 minutes.

It was a reversal of fortunes for Andreescu, as the World No.9 was competing in her first tournament in 15 months. Facing the versatile Su-Wei Hsieh, Andreescu was forced to scramble for every ball. Her Taiwanese opponent employed her unorthodox style of play to frustrate the Canadian, forcing her to commit several unforced errors.

Lack of competitive matches played a role in Andreescu's demise, as the 2019 US Open champion was unable to develop any rhythm. Hsieh dominated from the start, racing to a 4-0 lead before claiming the first set. Despite her best efforts, Andreescu was unable to mount any offense, succumbing to Hsieh's crafty play and superb volley execution. The World No.71 easily dispatched of the eight seed, leaving Rod Laver Arena with a 6-3 6-2 victory.

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