Sabalenka's woes continue with early round loss in Miami

The poor form of Aryna Sabalenka continued on Thursday at the Miami Open, as the top seed was eliminated by Irina-Camelia Begu in their second round encounter.

Sabalenka has struggled to rack up the wins this season, acquiring a record of 6-6 in 2022. The big-hitting Belarusian added another point to the loss column, as she fell to Begu in straight sets in Miami. The Romanian took advantage of Sabalenka's poor form and serving woes to escape with a 6-4 6-4 victory, converting on break points in each set to clinch victory after an hour and 41 minutes.

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For her part, Sabalenka was inconsistent on serve, which has been a hinderance all season. The former World No.2 hit eight double faults and won a paltry 7 of 22 points behind her second serve. Furthermore, she failed to convert on any of her six break point opportunities, allowing Begu back into the game with each errant shot.

Having escaped Sabalenka, Begu will take on Aliaksandra Sasnovich in the third round.