Hady Habib becomes first Lebanese player to win a Grand Slam match on an eventful first day at Melbourne Park.Aryna Sabalenka has launched her bid for a third successive Australian Open title with a 6-3 6-2 demolition of former US Open champion Sloane Stephens on a wet opening day of the main round in Melbourne.
Despite the power-hitting show at Rod Laver Arena on Sunday, Sabalenka was nowhere near her peak as she was broken twice by the American in a wayward first set, but she steadied with the help of her pulverising forehand to claim a 15th successive win at hardcourt Grand Slams.
The stand-out hardcourt player in the women’s game, Sabalenka, stormed to a 4-0 lead over Stephens in the first set as fans were still settling in their seats for day one’s first evening match on centre court.
Though Stephens broke her twice to claw back to 4-3, Sabalenka regrouped to claim the set with strong net play and customary aggression.
Sabalenka will play Spaniard Jessica Bouzas Maneiro for a place in the third round in her bid to become the first woman to pull off the Australian Open “threepeat” since Martina Hingis (1997-99). Advertisement
Meanwhile, men’s second seed Alexander Zverev barely needed to get out of third gear as the German cruised past Frenchman Lucas Pouille 6-4 6-4 6-4.
Twice Grand Slam runner-up Zverev has mad …
