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Sabalenka's Tiebreak Record Seals 13th Straight Slam QF at Australian Open

Aryna Sabalenka defeated Victoria Mboko in straight sets to reach her 13th consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal. She set a new record by winning her 20th consecutive tiebreak at a major, surpassing Novak Djokovic's long-standing mark. Despite a second-set fightback from Mboko, Sabalenka closed out the match in a tiebreak she has dominated. The defending champion will next face American Iva Jovic for a spot in the semifinals.

Key Points: Sabalenka Reaches 13th Consecutive Grand Slam Quarterfinal

  • Wins 20th consecutive Grand Slam tiebreak
  • Reaches 13th straight major QF
  • Defends title bid without dropping a set
  • Next faces Iva Jovic in quarterfinal
2 min read

Aus Open: Sabalenka eliminates Mboko to reach 13th consecutive Grand Slam QF

Aryna Sabalenka defeats Victoria Mboko, sets new tiebreak record, and advances to the Australian Open quarterfinals for the fourth straight year.

"What an incredible player for such a young age... super happy that I was able to close this match in straight sets. - Aryna Sabalenka"

Melbourne, Jan 25

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka beat Victoria Mboko with a 6-1, 7-6 victory at the Australian Open to reach the quarterfinals for the fourth consecutive year.

She booked her 13th consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal and has taken a crucial step towards having her name engraved on the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup for a third time.

Sabalenka won her 20th consecutive tiebreak at the Grand Slam level, eclipsing an almost two-decade-old record owned by Novak Djokovic, who won 19 straight tiebreaks at majors between Wimbledon 2005 and 2007.

Sabalenka started off the match in punishing form and stormed out to a 6-1, 4-1 lead in just over 45 minutes. But the tip seed's serve was broken twice in the second set, including at 5-4, after failing to convert three match points.

Later, she found herself two points away from being pushed to a third set when Mboko pulled the 12th game to deuce. But in the end, Sabalenka found herself in a situation she's thrived in over the last 18 months: a tiebreak set at a Grand Slam and improved her unbeaten streak in such sets to 20 to finally see off Mboko's challenge in 1 hour and 26 minutes, reports WTA.

"What an incredible player for such a young age, it's incredible to see these kids coming up on tour (She) pushed me really hard today, super happy with the win. It was quite a fight. I'm super happy that I was able to close this match in straight sets," said the two-time champion, who is yet to drop a set.

In Tuesday's quarterfinal, Sabalenka will face off against 29th seed Iva Jovic for a place in the final four after the American earned an emphatic 6-0 6-1 win over Yulia Putintseva to secure her maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal berth.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Great win, but she did get a bit shaky in that second set. Shows even the best can feel pressure. Respect to Mboko for pushing her that hard. The future of women's tennis looks bright.
A
Ananya R
Watching from India at 5 AM was worth it! Her power is something else. Hope she goes all the way. We need more Indian players reaching these stages someday. 🤞
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David E
That stat about 20 consecutive tiebreak wins at Slams is mind-blowing. It shows incredible mental strength under the highest pressure. She's the clear favorite now.
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Karthik V
Very clinical. But I have a respectful criticism: the article focuses only on Sabalenka. Mboko, a 16-year-old qualifier, took a set point off the world no.1! That's the real story for the future. More balance would be nice.
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Sarah B
Her comment about the "kids coming up" was so gracious. A true champion's mindset. Jovic next will be interesting, but Sabalenka in this form looks unstoppable for the title.

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