LONDON: Whatever is said of World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka ’s volatile temper, that has seen her come undone in the closing stages of championships, she’s as clean as a whistle in early rounds of majors. On a cloudy afternoon at Wimbledon , when the start of play was delayed on the outside courts, Sabalenka provided the sunshine, thumping 41 winners and breaking down the resistance of Czech Marie Bouzkova to score a 7-6 (4), 6-4 win to move into the third round.
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Of the last six Grand Slams that the 27-year-old Belarusian has played, she has made the final five times. She has lost three of those finals, two of them the result of meltdowns which became the talking point. Not enough is said, however, of her professionalism in the early stages of majors. She hasn’t lost in the first or second rounds since 2021.