World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka has successfully opened her National Bank Open campaign in Toronto, defeating Japan's Moyuka Uchijima in the Round of 64. The match, held on Tuesday, saw Sabalenka secure a 6-3, 6-3 victory on the hard courts of Sobeys Stadium.
Sabalenka, a dominant force on hard courts this season with a 24-1 record prior to this match, experienced a momentary lapse early on, conceding an early break and falling behind 2-0 against Uchijima. However, the Belarusian quickly regained her composure, winning five consecutive games to take the first set. The second set featured several service breaks from both players, but Sabalenka ultimately managed to secure the win in straight sets.
This victory marks Sabalenka's 37th win of the season and extends her hard-court winning streak to 13 matches. The Toronto tournament is one of the few WTA 1000 events Sabalenka has yet to win. She will now face China's Shuai Zhang in the next round as she continues her quest for the title. The National Bank Open, a significant event on the WTA calendar, runs until August 13, with both men's and women's tournaments taking place simultaneously in Montreal and Toronto respectively.
