kicked off her quest for a third Madrid Open title with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Anna Blinkova in the second round at the Caja Magica on Friday.
After racing to a double-break 5-0 advantage against Blinkova in the opening set, the World No.1 lost one of her breaks before taking the lead on her third set point on the 48-minute mark.
The second set was a straightforward affair, with an early break of serve enough for Sabalenka to punch her ticket to the third round, where she awaits either her former doubles partner Elise Mertens or Colombia’s Camila Osorio.
Sabalenka’s three Grand Slam titles have all come on hard courts, but the Belarusian power-hitter has shown she can fight hard on clay too, with two trophies clinched from nine finals reached on the surface.