Former world number one
Lindsay Davenport has heaped praise
on Belarus’
Aryna Sabalenka for defending the
Australian Open title.
The 25-year-old defeated China’s Qinwen Zheng in the final in
straight sets with a score of 6-3, 6-2 on Saturday to win the title for the
second year running.
Davenport was recently quoted in a report where she heaped
praise on Sabalenka and also highlighted how the current world number two had ‘something
different’ about her this time around.
"We were curious if she was going to be able to keep it
together in this entire tournament,” said the three-time Grand Slam winner. “You
go back, yes, she won the Australian Open, semi-finals of Roland Garros last
year, up 5-2 in the third match point, and collapsed against [Karolina]
Muchova.
“Up a set and a break in the semifinals of Wimbledon, lost
to [Ons] Jabeur. Then we saw in that [US Open] final against Coco Gauff, really
get rattled by the crowd. I was expecting that, possibly against Gauff, who was
really challenging her late in that first set.
"But something was different about Sabalenka
here—whether it was the confidence from winning here last year or just a new
mindset coming off the off-season where you know she works so incredibly hard.
“She was ready
emotionally. It's the best I’ve ever seen her. She was buttoned up; she was
ready for the pressure moments when they did occur, and she didn't have to have
many of them because she was playing so well.”
